The burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, rears its larvae on carrion. The female carefully tends and feeds her brood, and fiercely defends it from intruders. Unusually for an insect, the male often stays to help look after his offspring.

I drew the original image of the beetle while doing research on it for a Zoology degree in Edinburgh, nearly 30 years ago. For these prints I wanted to revisit the drawing and combine it with the scientific results from that study. The coloured shapes illustrate part of my research, showing that males often stay around for much longer than they need to just for defence.

Biography

I am a scientist and a printmaker. My art is based on close observation and understanding of natural subjects.