A bug’s life with free mantis coloring pages for kids. This collection of 30 detailed black and white line drawings allows you to meet and color these fascinating insects.
Mantises are a type of insect that lives on every continent apart from Antarctica. They’re known for their distinctive ‘praying’ pose, earning them the nickname praying mantis.
There’s a lot more to them than that, though. They are really interesting creatures with many facets and characteristics that people may not know about.
From their excellent vision to their advanced hunting techniques, there is a lot to admire about the mantis.
These 30 pages depict mantises drawn in styles ranging from cartoony to hyper-detailed, and shows them in situations like hunting and camouflaging themselves.
There’s a lot to learn about mantises, and I will share some fun facts about them as you color these pages.
30 Free Mantis Coloring Pages To Print And Color
1. Cartoon Mantis Looking Up Coloring PDF
Let’s start things off with a simple, cartoony mantis. This one is looking up, and this corresponds to real mantises, as they have the ability to turn their heads 180 degrees. That allows them to have an excellent view of their surroundings.
2. Kawaii Mantis With Big Eyes
I love the kawaii style, which originated in Japan and emphasises cuteness. The focus of this design is on the eyes of the mantis, which are fascinating in real life. Mantises have highly advanced eyes, which allow them to see in 3D stereo vision. Their vision is so advanced that some scientists are trying to replicate their eye structure for robots.
3. Mantis On A Blade Of Grass
Some mantises are quite large, while some are only a centimeter long. These smaller mantises could easily hang out on a blade of grass, like this little guy.
4. Mantis Cleaning Its Antennae
An insect's antennae are very important, as they play a role in detecting various pheromones and other things around them that help keep them safe and detect food sources. That’s why this mantis is making sure that its antennae are clean.
5. Mantis Climbing A Flower Stem
Mantises are adept hunters who use some clever tricks to catch their prey! Sometimes, they will stake out a flower in order to catch insects that come to extract pollen. Some masters of disguise even camouflage themselves as flowers to bring the insects right to them.
6. Mantis Climbing A Sunflower
I love sunflowers, and the details on this sunflower and mantis are a sight to behold! It’s a great excuse to use some bright yellow colors.
7. Mantis Diagram
This design not only allows you to color the mantis but also to learn a bit more about it along the way. You can check out the different parts of a mantis and wow your friends and family with your knowledge! If you want to challenge yourself, then try to memorize the names, then use white-out to cover the words, and then see how many you can remember.
8. Detailed Mantis Close-up
Praying mantises look like they are praying most of the time, and this is because of their big front legs. They’re not for something as peaceful as praying, though. They use these legs to catch and hold onto their prey. Sometimes, they even use these legs to defend themselves.
9. Mantis Grabbing A Cricket
Mantises are ruthless hunters, and they aren’t particular about which insects they eat. They eat lots of insects that some farmers consider pests, like grasshoppers and crickets. However, they sometimes eat useful insects like bees as well.
10. Mantis Hunting A Fly
This fly will fly no more, as it's in the grasp of a praying mantis. If insects were able to make horror movies, they would probably have a mantis as the villain!
11. Mantis In The Desert
Most mantises live in warm, humid environments, but some do live in dry desert climates, like this one. This design allows for a different color palette than some of the previous pages.
12. Mantis In A Garden
This mantis is exploring the garden, and you can draw some additional details for it to discover, such as some smaller insects for it to hunt.
13. Mantis In Mid-Strike Catching Prey
Once a mantis strikes, there is little hope of escape for the insect! They strike quicker than our eyes can see and can skewer their prey with their legs.
14. Mantis Laying Eggs On A Twig
Mantises take zero chances when it comes to laying their eggs! They will create a foamy structure around the eggs called an ootheca, and this not only protects the eggs but also creates good humidity conditions for the eggs to thrive in.
15. Mantis Looking At A Butterfly Coloring Sheet
You may be surprised to learn that even pretty butterflies aren’t safe from the menu of a mantis! Some mantises have even been known to go after larger creatures like hummingbirds.
16. Mantis On A Garden Fence
Many farmers and gardeners welcome mantises thanks to the fact that they prey on many pests. This one seems to be patrolling a garden for any troublesome insects.
17. Mantis On A Log
Mantises are masters of disguise, and some can even change their colors to blend into their environment. You could color this mantis to match the color of the log it’s on.
18. Mantis On Tree Bark
You may have to look twice to spot this mantis! This is another page where you could color it to camouflage into its environment, which would provide a great coloring challenge.
19. Mantis Under The Shade Of A Leaf
You or I may relax under an umbrella on a sunny day, but this mantis will have to make do with a leaf!
20. Cartoon Mantis Beside A Caterpillar
This mantis and caterpillar seem to be on friendly terms! In real life, many mantises would consider a caterpillar to be a tasty snack, though. Some mantises even have ways of eating caterpillars without being affected by their poisonous defense mechanisms.
21. Mantis On A Branch
Let’s branch out with this mantis hanging out on a branch. There are some great details to color here.
22. Mantis Surrounded By Insects
Have you ever found yourself at a big buffet only to be paralysed by the many choices on display? I imagine that this mantis must be feeling that way, as it probably doesn’t know where to start, as it’s surrounded by so many flies!
23. Mantis Under A Mushroom Umbrella
This cute little mantis is relaxing under a mushroom to escape the rain! Which colors will you choose for this mushroom?
24. Mantis On A Rock
This mantis is a real rock star! Some mantises can even camouflage on rocks, making them harder to spot. It’s not just about hiding from their prey. While mantises are master hunters, they also find themselves on the menu sometimes, as creatures like lizards and chameleons will go after them.
25. Mantis With Folded Legs
When a mantis folds its front legs, it looks like it’s praying, but it’s actually making it so that it can walk around more easily without being encumbered by its own legs.
26. Mantis With Front Legs Extended
The front legs of this mantis are extended, which probably means it’s about to strike at some prey!
27. Mantis With Textured Wings Extended
Some people don’t know that mantises can fly. While most species can fly, they can usually only fly for short distances. It can still be enough for them to escape from anything trying to eat them, though.
28. Mantis With Spread Wings
This mantis has spread its wings, but before it flies off, you can color the details on these wings.
29. Detailed Praying Mantis On A Leaf
There are so many details to admire in this mantis design! It would probably be hard to spot sitting on that leaf, especially if you color it to blend into its environment.
30. Realistic Mantis In A forest Coloring Page
The final mantis in this collection is so detailed and realistic! For a last mantis fact, did you know that mantises have a crude ear on their stomachs?After You Color Your Mantis Pages
- Try out different colors, art tools, and textures to make these mantises blend into different kinds of environments.
- Turn one of these mantises into Manny from A Bug’s Life and then draw versions of other characters from the film next to him.
- Create some danger by drawing some mantis predators like a chameleon or a bat.