Praying Mantis and Mantis Shrimp Coloring Sheets
Explore our collection of mantis coloring pages for kids and adults. You will find everything from realistic praying mantises in their natural habitats to cute cartoon bugs and detailed underwater mantis shrimp.
Mantis Coloring Pages
Choose from realistic line art showing the classic praying posture or friendly cartoon insects playing instruments.
Mantis Shrimp Coloring Pages
Color these powerful marine crustaceans swimming through kelp forests, exploring coral reefs, or facing off with octopuses.
Mantis on Leaves and Flowers
Find beautiful orchid mantises and traditional green mantises camouflaged among ferns, sunflowers, and cherry blossoms.
More pages to explore
Related coloring pages on Color Confetti.
All 14 more: Praying Mantis (32), Bug (47), Bee (54), Flower (47), Grasshopper (31), Beetle (32), Dragonfly (39), Butterfly (62), Caterpillar (42), Spider (59), Ant (40), Ladybug (47), Snail (40) and Centipede (16).
Ready to print for home, preschool and classroom.
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Bringing the Praying Mantis to Life
When coloring a praying mantis, you are not limited to just green. While many species blend in with fresh foliage, others are brown or gray to match dead leaves, bark, and twigs. The raptorial forelegs, which give the insect its famous praying appearance, are covered in tiny spikes used for catching prey. You can highlight these sharp details in our realistic line art pages.
The orchid mantis designs offer a chance to use bright pinks, whites, and soft purples. These fascinating insects have evolved to look exactly like flower petals, allowing them to hide in plain sight while waiting for a passing bumblebee or other pollinator.
Coloring the Vibrant Mantis Shrimp
Despite the name, the mantis shrimp is neither a true shrimp nor a mantis. These marine crustaceans are known for having some of the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom and incredibly strong claws that can break hard shells.
The peacock mantis shrimp is famous for its brilliant, rainbow-like colors. To color the mantis shrimp pages, try using a bright mix of emerald green, vivid blue, and fiery orange. Their segmented shells often feature a mottled or speckled pattern, making them a fun challenge for blending colored pencils or markers.
Using These Pages for Science and Art
These printables work well for biology lessons, nature study units, or just a quiet afternoon at home. Students can observe the anatomy of the mantis, noting the triangular head that can turn 180 degrees, the large compound eyes, and the elongated thorax.
- Use the realistic branch designs to discuss insect camouflage and habitats.
- Compare the anatomy of the land-dwelling praying mantis with the underwater mantis shrimp.
- Print the cute cartoon bugs for a relaxed art activity with younger children.