This collection has 21 free praying mantis coloring pages: fifteen solo mantises resting in naturalistic garden and forest settings, three pages with two mantises sharing a scene, and three standout pages with a distinctive pose or background style. Every page is black and white on US Letter, downloads as a free PDF, and needs no signup.
This set is far more realistic than most animal collections on the site — every mantis keeps its true anatomy, from the triangular head and spiked front legs to fine wing venation, set against real leaves, tree bark, and grass instead of cartoon scenery. It’s a good pick for an older kid or an adult who wants a detailed nature study rather than a simple cartoon page.
What’s in this collection
Fifteen solo mantis portraits, three pages with a pair of mantises together, and three standout action or texture pages — 21 in total, in the grid below. Each has its own Download PDF and Print button, so you can take one page instead of the whole set.
Solo mantises at rest
Fifteen pages show a single mantis perched on a leaf, tree bark, or blade of grass in a calm, naturalistic setting — beside a pond, near a waterfall, against a garden wall, or camouflaged among hanging leaves. These are the most straightforward pages to color, with one insect and one clear background per page.
Two mantises together
Three pages share the frame between two mantises instead of one — resting together in dense bushes, standing apart across a scene with mountains and a lake in the distance, and side by side in tall grass with slightly different poses. These give you two subjects to color without the crowding of a busier action scene.
Standout poses and backgrounds
Three pages break from the naturalistic look of the rest of the set. One shows a mantis actually gripping a moth in its front legs, set against an abstract background of wavy, topographic-style lines instead of plants. A second repeats that same wavy-line texture across a rocky bark surface. A third shows a mantis with its wings spread fully open in a dramatic defensive display, wider and more dynamic than any of the resting poses elsewhere in the set.
How to print these
Every page is US Letter (8.5 × 11 in), pure black and white, with the drawing inside the printable margin. Plain copy paper is fine; choose “Fit to page” if your printer asks. Because these pages carry real anatomical and background detail, a fresher printer cartridge helps the fine linework — leg spines, wing veins, bark texture — stay crisp.
FAQ
How many praying mantis coloring pages are here?
21 free pages: 15 solo mantis portraits, 3 pages with two mantises together, and 3 standout pages with a distinctive pose or background.
Is there a page showing a mantis catching prey?
Yes, one page shows a mantis gripping a moth in its front legs, set against an abstract wavy-line background rather than plants.
Are these realistic or cartoon-style mantises?
Realistic. Every page keeps the mantis’s true anatomy and sets it in a naturalistic garden or forest scene rather than a cartoon redesign.
Do I need a color printer?
No. Every page prints in black and white; the color comes from your crayons or pencils.
For more realistic insect subjects, the wasp coloring pages share the same detailed, naturalistic style, and for another single-subject nature set, try the butterfly coloring pages.
Free printable · ages 3-8
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