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351 views64 pagesHow Draw Insects A Z
The document provides a guide on drawing various insects, detailing their characteristics and habitats. It includes specific instructions for drawing different species, emphasizing key features such as body parts, legs, and antennae. The text also highlights the diversity of insects and their ecological roles, while offering tips for realistic representation in drawings.
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renzo alfaroCopyright
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
351 views64 pagesHow Draw Insects A Z
The document provides a guide on drawing various insects, detailing their characteristics and habitats. It includes specific instructions for drawing different species, emphasizing key features such as body parts, legs, and antennae. The text also highlights the diversity of insects and their ecological roles, while offering tips for realistic representation in drawings.
Uploaded by
renzo alfaroCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
Ho
“wit
102656 Contents
Drawing Tips .
Insects, A to Z
‘Our planet harbors about « million (veho’s counting?) species
Of insects, Rather than 20,000 insects on each page—or even
20—'ve drawn insects | find interesting, fun, or representative,
each with its own page. Hope you like my choices.
Insect Relatives . .
Not all creepy-crawlies ore insects, (For exemple, your
neighbor's yappy little foo-foo dog, or your younger brother,
‘are not insects: they may art like insects at times, but that
doesn’t make them insects.) Here you'll ind a few favorite
reepy-crawlies, and see why they're not insects, either.
cs oe cree eee coe SD
Dndex .......eseeereeee
And now, a brief and learned discourse on insects:
The world of insects includes amazing diversity—and insects are everywhere,
from frozen snow fields to inside other animals’ bodies. Some feed on
plants, some suck blood from mammals, and plenty of them eat other
insects, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies.
So what is an insect?
Insects are those critters belonging to the class Insecta, in the phylum
‘Arthropoda (arthropods), They live in all habitats. Arthropods have hard
exoskeletons and jointed limbs-lobsters and crabs are arthropods, but
they're not insects.
Insects have
+ six legs
+ bo antennae
* three body parts
* wings? Four, or two, or none at all.
_ So think 6 legs, And look for the other stuff as well.
OK, class dismissed!
You may now draw...
PS. The darkened images on each page show
—~ you the actual size of what you're drawing. Ant oe
Order Hymenoptera
Famiy Formicidae
I you want to study insects, none ore
easier to fir than ants! thet societies
‘generally const of wingless workers and
\ninged repredacers. They five in
underground nests or in decd wood.
Most can ‘ite’ people if dstued. Most
‘ams scavenge, but some harvest seed,
Cult leaves and form Fungus undergroura,
or herd aphids to feed on ther honeyder,
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ six legs?
+ two antennae?
wings?
= eves?
1. Draw the oval shape of the
head, the peanut shape of
the thorax, and the pointy
oval shape of the abdomen.
2, Add the rear leg. How many
sections do you see?
3. Draw the middle leg, and
the front leg. Notice how
the sections of the middle
leg overiap to create depth
4. Add antennae, eye, and
mouth. Add the small visible
bits of the other legs.
5. Add shading and texture.
Draw a little tidbit and a
cast shadow beneath the
ant. Clean up any smudges
with your eraser.
Great ant! To make your
drawing more realistic, draw
about a zillion of them,
crawling all over the place..
4 — Draw Insects
ood
‘antennae
‘mouth Aphid *
Order Homoptera
Family Aphididse
Ask ony gardener about aphids! These
Inte plant-suckers appear in large
number on leaves ond stams of plonts,
leaving them wited and cured. They aa
also spread plant cseases. Aphis give
bith to youre during spring ans
sumener, ar lay eggs to last through the
‘winter Ants help the process by
gathering tne eggs, string them ding
he winter, then trenspering the ophics
rom one food plant to enother during
the spring. Why? Because apis abo
secreve something cated honeydew,
Inhich the ents eat
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* aistinct body paris?
« six legs?
* two antennae?
wings?
eyes?
1. Draw the body, almost pear-
shaped,
2. Add the distinctive cornicles
at the rear end of the aphid.
3. Draw the rear leg,...
4, wathe middle leg,...
5. ...and the front leg.
6. Add the antennae and eye.
‘h your drawing by
shading and going over fine
lines with a sharp pencil.
‘Add a little plant stem and
shadows.
Now add a little flap in the
back and more baby aphids
popping out, eager to devour
‘your house plants. ...
Drawinsects 5 Assassin Bug OPK
(cdr Hemiptera (rue bugs)
Family Reduvidae —
“Assassin bugs have very strong front legs.
whlch they ase (0 grob and hold prey.
They attack their veri with ther short,
‘harp beaks ond suck the body fuids out
of tiem
STUDY the final drawing
before you start! d
Do you see i
tree body pans? on
«six legs?
‘* two antennae?
‘swings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1. Lightly draw the center line,
and the six-sided thorax.
‘Add the head.
2, Draw the wings.
3. Add the antennae, and the
pointy shape of the
abdomen,
4. Draw the first section of
each leg. Which legs are the
thickest and most powerful?
5. Carefully complete the legs.
Draw veins in the wings,
‘Add shading, texture, and
details.
Ideal Draw another insect
being attacked by the
assassin bug...
6 Draw Insects Back Swimmer
‘Order Herniptera (true bugs)
Family Notcnectidae
Back swimmers use thelr gs to pale
‘on the surface of woter. They alsa dive,
‘and can stay under wreter up to sie
‘rows. They catch todpoke, small oquetic
insects, ond asec thot get caught fa
the water. Swimming on thelr backs, they
hove protective coloring simiar to many.
fish dark on the top side end lighten the
bottom,
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* Unee body parts?
* six legs?
* two antennae?
* wings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1. Lightly draw the centre line,
then eyes and proboscis, and,
the rounded sides of the
body.
2. Draw the first section of
each leg.
3, Add remaining, feather-like
sections to the back legs.
4. Draw remaining sections to
front leas, and give your
back swimmer a little snack
to munch on,
5. Add shading, and a few
little ripples to suggest,
water.
Floating in your poo,
‘munching on a snack...
what a life!
Bon appetit!
Draw Insects 7 Bed Bug &
‘Order Hemiptera (rue bugs)
Family Cimicidae
‘These lat, reddish-brown pests con really
‘ina gocd night's sleep! They run
surpesingly fst, hunt fr sleeping
‘animals and bids at right when they
‘cant find you. If they dont find
‘anything, well, that’s OK: adults have
been know to fire Fro year without
food.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
* six legs?
‘two antennae?
wings?
eves?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1, Draw the acorn-shaped
abdomen.
2. Add the thorax and head,
with beady little eyes
looking for the best place to
attack you in your sleep.
Add antennae.
3. Draw the first segment of all
sik legs.
4, Add the remaining
segments to each leg.
S. Add shading, texture, and
stubbly little hairs, and a
cast shadow.
Sleep tight!
Don't let the bedbugs bite!
8 Draw Insects Black Fly 4
Order Diptera
Family Simulidee
Black Meslay ther eggs in sreams and
rivers. The lane pupate in cocoans
attached to rocks in the water. The adits
burst out, se on @ bubble ofa, and go
fort to dive people cxazy with thet
bites hte spring or early summer.
Some speces trons o type of materia
that his ducks, geese, swons and
turkeys
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ sie legs?
* two antennae?
wings (how many)?
= eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Start by drawing the slightly
tilted wing. Look carefully at
‘the example and draw the
outline, almost straight on
cone side and more curved
on the other. Add veins.
2. Draw the curved top of the
thorax, head, eye and
smaller details on the head.
3. Add two legs.
4. Draw the rear leg. Now add
the segmented abdomen.
Next, draw the legs on the
far side of the fly.
5. Add shading and a bit of
cast shadow. Shade the
body and eye, leaving light
areas to show the round
forms. Lightly draw the
outline of the other wing,
and add shading and a cast
shadow.
Orawlnsects 9 Bumble Bee é
Order Hymenoptera
Family Apidae
‘umbieboes usualy ive in cooler areas
here tei hick ha protects ther trom
the cold. Usually they ld nests
underground Their very ong probescises
can recch nto the deepest fewes, and
some depend almost completely on
‘buriblebees for feriiztion. When the
“english brought cove to New Zecland,
for example it didn’t grow well unt they
‘imported bumblebees. The Enghsh
bioogist Charles Darwin made the
suggestion
thorax
|
|
|
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ sir legs?
+ two antennae?
* wings (how many)?
seyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? soft?
1. Draw the circle of the
thorax, leaving white spaces
on either side where the
wings attach. Add the
flattened oval of the
abdomen, with lines
showing segments.
2. Add head, eyes, and
antennae.
3. Carefully outline one fore
wing and hind wing,
4. Repeat on the other side,
and add veins to the wings.
5. Now draw the six legs.
6. Add shading, shadow, and
texture. Notice which parts
of the body are darker, and
which are lighter.
10 Draw Insects Butterfly
Order Lepidoptera
Family Papitonidae
Swallowtoil butters are easly
recognized by te lang telson the ind
wings. Ther wings have patterns of
block yellow, or white, and con have
bw or red spots. Papiton, a word taken
thom this family of buteries, means
utterly in French, (The Geran word,
tn the other hand, fs Schmettering. Go
figure)
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
'* three body parts?
six legs?
* two antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
Draw the thorax, head and
proboscis.
Add the front leg...
middle leg...
.and hind leg
5. Draw the two antennae,
. Add the eye.
7. Carefully outline the hind
wing and its veins. Add lines
for abdominal segments.
. Draw the fore wing. Add the
small visible portion of the
fore wing and hind wing on
the far side of the insect.
‘Add shading. Go over fi
with a sharpened pencil.
Draw Insects 11 Caterpillar “S5eGRapR
(Order Lepidoptera
Cotes ore young burtertes or
moths. They may have horns, spines, ond
‘estes: they show distinct cobrs anc
potters. Al caterpllars have three poirs
Of egs inthe thorax, and up 0 five pas
‘of abdominal “prolegs.”
STUDY the final drawin
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ six legs?
+ two antennae?
wings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy? \
= hard? soit?
1, Draw two tall, rounded
rectangles with tiny
projections for legs.
2. Add a triangle shape and
another leg, and small
bump with a dot for the
head. Draw a little horn on
top.
3. Draw two more rounded “
rectangles of the abdomen.
4. Add another, with a littie 2
bump for a proleg...
5, ..and another...
6, ..and two more... 5
7. ...then three plain segments
and a last segment with
another proleg.
6. Now add pattern and oiea
shading, leaving a light area
fon each segment to make
the caterpillar look shiny.
And give it a little
1g to munch on!
12 Draw Insects Cave Cricket
Order Orhoptera
Family Gryllacrididae
Mest crickets his fly hove 20
sung They Ive in caves ond basements,
‘rin dark ples under og, rocks, oF
bark Sore pes moe aro sod
but mott—unke fel ket make no
‘sound otal. Ther long encenrae alg
Distes wa them of approaching
predators, sch a spiders or cenpedes
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
* six legs?
* two antennae?
‘swings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1, Start with two bending legs
forming an M shape.
2. Draw the powerful rear
jumping leg behind.
3. Add additional segments to
each leg, and the pattern
con the largest leg.
4. Now draw the body behind
the legs. Look carefully, and
draw one part at a time,
Because you drew the legs
first, it’s easy to show them
overlapping the body, adding
depth to your drawing.
5. Add shading, very long
antennae, the other rear leg
(Ghaded solid gray), and a
slight cast shadow.
Pretty coo! looking critter!
Drawinsects 13 Cicada
1dr Homoptera
Family Cicadidae
Cicedas ive in wees ond make lout.
pulsating buzzing sounds. They ay coos
fn twigs, which usualy die and fal 9 the
‘round, The nyrwph ccodas then feast on
roots before crawling up a tre, Certain
eadas repeat this cycle anly once every
Wor 7 years.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
* two antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Draw a rounded triangle
with a little circle on the
bottom and one side.
2. Add the peanut shape of
the body on the other side
of the triangle.
3. Outline the fore wings.
Notice how one points
down on the page, while
the other points up at an
angle.
4, Add the hind wings.
5. Carefully outline the veins in
cone wing. Take your time!
Look carefully!
6. Complete your drawing by
carefully adding veins to the
other wings. Draw legs and
segments of the body. Then
add shading, and go over
any fuzzy lines with a sharp
pencil to make them look
cleaner.
14 Draw Insects Cockroach
Order Blatoden
Family Blatidae
Cockroaches do not transmit human
seas, but.
Lunpleasont smell They are active and
ast runners at aight: curing tne dey they
hide in crocks. They clmost never th,
{ough they are among the oles?
winged insects (350 milion yeors). Some
‘have become almost immure to
‘pesticides ater mamerous attempts to
fexadicae them. And dan’ bother trying
to stave them to death: some fave Ive
for months om tle more than dust!
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
* six legs?
‘stwo antennae?
+ wings (how mony)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
© shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? sot?
1. Draw a small flat oval for
the head and a half-circle for
the pronotum.
2. Add the long shape of the
wings.
3. Draw details on the head,
and add the visible bits of
front legs.
4, Carefully add the remai
‘two pairs of legs.
. Add antennae, bristly hairs
‘on the legs, and shading.
9
For added realism, make your
cockroach nibbling on a
chocolate chip cookie!
Draw insects 15 Cow Killer ria
‘Order Hymenoptera
Fly Mutilidae (Velvet ants)
1 had no ideo this insect existed unt 4
spotted one fn the back yard while
‘working on this book. It moved so fost!
Couldn't tel how many legs it Nad, and
buzzed as i raced aroun. 'm gl |
cn’ try to pk up: the sting from (his
‘wingless wasp fs painful that some
people soy it could ki a cow! Cow kes
fnvade bumblebee nests ond hy thet
eggs in thom, They ae bright red ard
black.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ six legs?
‘two antennae?
+ wings?
= eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1. Start with the oval shaped
head, eye, and segmented
antennae.
2. Draw two more oval shapes
for the thorax and abdomen.
3. Addl fuzzy hair covering the
‘whole body. If you have
colored pencils, make the
light areas bright red, and
the dark areas black.
4, Draw a long, bristly leg..
. ...and another...
6. ..and another.
7. Finish your drawing by
adding the other three legs,
and some grains of sand or
small pebbles, and a cast
shadow beneath the body.
16 Draw Insects Crane Fly:
Order Diptera
Family Tipulidae
‘These Mes sears to dance in midlz. Larva
feed on rotting vegetation ond fungus,
‘but adults don’ eat ot all They ive in
‘humid areas, often near kes or streams,
‘and lay slender eggs in most it.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
« six legs?
‘two antennae?
‘swings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘* hard? soft?
Draw the long, slender
aicdomen with lines dividing
it into segments, Add the
bulbous thorax, small pointy
head and eyes.
. Draw the two tong wings,
wing veins, and the tiny
antennae.
. Add the two very long rear
legs.
Draw the middle legs,
looking carefully at how
they bend.
‘Add the front legs. Go over
lines to darken them. Clean
up any smudges with your
eraser.
Draw Insects 17 Deer Fly
Cre Diptera
Fail Tebonidae
This pst ose ajetciplane when it
sands efter cling bev is prey ~ ond it
fees ike one too wher ites! As vith
tose fes and roses, ony Female
deer ested on bso: the males dik
part juices The leva feed on sna
Sut secs, Some dee es transmit
exter thot cance toe in
fabbis ord hres .ond occasionally
people
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
* six legs?
‘two antennae?
‘swings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? sof?
1. Starting with the head and
two eyes, then add rounded
rectangles of the thorax and
abdomen.
2. Draw the wings, extending
beyond the abdomen.
3, Add six legs, and antennae.
4, Look closely! Draw the
markings on the back and
the veins an the wings. Add
markings on thorax and
abdomen, and shade the
eyes, leaving highlights.
5, Add shading to head,
thorax, and abdomen,
Shade the wings to make
them look translucent: you
‘can see shapes through
them, but they’re not
completely clear.
18 Draw Insects Digger Wasp
Order Hymenoptera
Family Seatac (Scolld Wasps)
‘Green lune beetles have @.good reason
not t ike digger wasps: the
wasps dig (possi several fee into the
ground to find a Beate fava. Then she
Stings it, igs ttle chamber around i
fand lays on egg an ts back. When the
og hatches, the wasp far eats the
beetle fa.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
® three body parts?
six legs?
+ two antennae?
‘« wings (how many)?
woyes?
1. Draw the long, tilted
‘abdomen and rounder
thorax, connected by the
narrow pedicel (waist)
2. Add the head and neck,
large eye with a highlight to
‘make it look shiny. Draw
mouth parts. Add antennae.
3. Carefully draw the legs,
counting the sections of
each. Notice how the
middle leg overlaps the rear
leg in fight.
4. Draw the wings (in this
view, we see only the closer
two). Make light guide lines
to show the segments of
the abdomen.
5. Add shading and texture.
Test question!
Why does a digger wasp aig?
Draw Insects 19 Dragonfly
Order Odonata
Suborder Anisoptera
Draganily nymphs ve in ponds and
streams, s0 yu often see act
agonfes around werer, though they
fan renge several mies. Often brightly
colored, dragontles fy wel and ctten,
catching mosquitoes and midges in fight.
Tey‘ fost! No wonder tney have such
big ees!
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«# six legs?
* two antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look =
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hord? soft?
1. Start with two small
circles for the head and
thorax, and draw the
long rectangle of the
abdomen.
2. Draw one hind wing.
3. Add the fore wing.
4. Draw wings on the
other side as wel.
5. Add details on head, front
legs, veins in wings, and
lines on the abdomen.
6. Complete your drawing by
adding more shading and
about a zillion cells on each
wing. Look closely at the
example, and take your
time drawing them!
Dazzling dragonfly!
20 Draw Insects Earwig
‘Order Dermaptera
Family Fortculidae
Their strange name comes from an old
supersiion that these insects got nto
people's ears (ey don’. don't think).
They fe and ly thet eggs in plant
debris, scavenging oF feeding on pants at
hight, They use thei pinceike cert in
delense, and can pinch poituly. They
fo sq afoulsmeling quid i
handed.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
‘two antennae?
‘* wings (how many)?
ocyes?
Does the insect look
«shiny? smooth? fuzay?
‘hard? soft?
1, Start by drawing the head
and thorax,
2. Add the long abdomen with
curving lines...
3. ..and add the nasty-looking
‘enc at the end,
4. Draw the rear legs...
5. wathe middle legs...
6, ...and then the front legs
and segmented antennae.
7. Add shading, leaving light
areas on the back to make
the form look round.
1 can understand the “eo”
part, but where do you
suppose the “wig” comes
from?
Draw Insects 21 Firefly (Lighting Bug) ==
Order Coleoptera
Family Lampyriac
During spring and early summer, these
beets use ther lurious abdorial
sections (0 attract other felts fr
‘mating. Atnough other insects can glow,
frees are unique mn boing able to Hash,
‘nd the shythms ore distinct for each
species. Active at night, they Ive under
bark or n mess places under det ss
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts? «.
‘six legs?
* two antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
oeyes?
Does the insect look
+ shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘shard? soft? —~
1. Start by drawing the
pronotum and eiytron (one
of two hard fore wings).
2. Draw the triangular head
(almost completely covered
by the promotum) and the
front leg.
3, Add the middle leg...
4, ...and the rear leg.
/ Flash!
5. Draw the body, and shade i is feat
‘most of it dark. Leave the
end of the abdomen light:
this is the part that flashes.
Make the eye dark, leaving
a litte reflective white spot.
6. Draw antennae, and the
other three legs.
7. Carefully shade your
drawing, leaving a light area
at the top of the shiny
protective shell. Draw
branch for it to sit on,
22 Draw Insects Flea -
Order Siphonapters
Family Puicidae
bas are annoyiog parasites that Ive off
the biood of thei hos; they lay eggs 0
theic hos or ia its pest. Heas help pets
get tapeworm and con spread disease
Such 0s bubonic plague.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
‘three body parts?
«six legs?
‘* two antennae?
+ wings?
eye?
1. Draw the head and first
thorax segment.
2. Draw the front leg, attached
to the first thorax segment.
Count the sections of the
leg, and look carefully at
which direction each goes.
3. Draw the second thorax
segment and middle leg,
behind the front leg.
4. Draw the third thorax
segment and powerful rear
leg, behind the middle leg.
5. Add the top part of the
abdomen...
6. ...and the bottom.
7. Add eye, antenna, palps,
three more legs, and
shading. Don't forget the
breathing spiracles!
Draw Insects 23 Giant Beetle
‘Order Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae
Woy do you suppose this is caied the
Giant Beetle? Put you hand over i 0 get
fan ide few big itis. Despite ts Scary
ooking hors, this Beetle woulde? hurt
you. fet, Fe might ee kind of cool
Vralking across your hand and up your
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
«three body parts?
six legs?
‘two antennae?
‘wings (how many)?
o yes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘shard? soft?
11. Draw the front beetie wings
(elytra) and thorox.
2. Add the head and ferocious-
looking horns.
3. Draw the front legs.
4, Add the middle and hind
legs.
5, Add the club-like antennae
on either side of the center
hom. Shade the beetle,
leaving very light areas to
make it look shiny. Go over
lines with a sharp pencil.
Use a dull pencil to add
shading and a cast shadove
Awesome!
eptron:
phrol elytra
24 Draw Insects Giraffe Beetle
Order Coleopters
Family Cureuionidae (snout beetles
and wees)
This tie monster belongs 10 a group of
hard-sheted beetles thot chew holes in
Tots, ns, ond other pars of plonts.
(One member, the bol wee, 1s well
Ienown for destroying cotton crops in the
southern U S. after accitentol
Introtuction irom Mexico,
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
® three body parts?
«six legs?
‘two antennae?
wings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘= hard? soft?
1. Draw the fattened oval
shape of the elytra
(protective fore wings).
2, Draw the visible triangle of
the thorax. Look carefully,
then add the front leg,..
3. waothe rear leg,...
4, ...and the middle leg. Add
lines to show the segments
of the thorax.
5. Add visible parts of other
legs, and the first section of
the neck.
6. Now draw the rest of the
neck and head.
7. Add shading, texture, and 2
cast shadow to complete
your drawing.
“why is the neck on this
beetle so long?” you ask.
Good question!
Draw Insects 25 Horse Fly
Order Diptera
Femily Tabanidae
‘As wit mosquitoes and dee ies, ony
fore horse tes feed on blood, wile
tie males eat pollen ond nectar irom
owes, Quiter than house fies, horse
Mes sneck up and give a nasty bite that
‘ontinves to bleed because of a7
‘eiicoagulant in the H's salva. A horse
fo cnr can actual suffer serous blood
[oss ita number of horse es attock it
STUDY the final dra
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ six legs?
‘= wo antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1. Start with a light guide
fine for the center of "
the fly. Add
‘abdomen, thorax, — —~—
and those big green
eyes.
2. Draw the wings.
3, Add the six legs and two
antennae.
4A, Draw lines for abdominal
segments and veins in
wings. Add shading and
texture. Add enough
shading on the wings to
make them appear
translucent - in other words,
you can see the legs
through them, but not real
clearly.
26 Draw Insects Ichneumon Fly
Order Hymenoptera
Family Ichneumonidae
Iehmeurons (sometimes caled
dieuaniies) are large fal of
parasitic wasps. This anzumon loys ts
69g an the back of an active cterpilor
‘The fara wil burrow into the host,
‘eventual ling I. Probably wont i
the host unt the caterpilar has made &
(cocoon: then the iehneumon Jorva wil
Irave a cozy litle home in which to
jpupate asf feeds onthe remains of is
host.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
‘* two antennae?
wings (how many)?
= eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
Draw ovals for the thorax
and heod. Add the shiny
eye, and long, gracefully
curving antennae.
. Carefully draw the curving
tail, one segment at a time.
‘Add the wings, one
showing the curved shape,
and the other just a sliver.
. Draw the legs. Look closely
at how they bend before
drawing,
‘Add the victim caterpillar.
Draw the other three legs.
‘Add veins in the wings, and
complete your drawing with
shading. Leave some areas
white to make the
Draw Insects 27 awe
Japanese Beetle
Order Coleoptera
Family Seaibaeidze (scarab beetles)
‘The Japanese Beetle hos been « foriior
‘and despread pest in the U.S. since ts
‘accidental intzaduction around 1916, ts
body and legs ore bright metalic green:
the elytra (ing coverings) are brown or
reddish orange. Larvae feed underground
'on roots adits eat fotage, leaves, and
nits of more thon 200 kinds of plants.
Carel use of parasitic wesps fas
reduced its numbers in some reas,
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
+ six legs?
‘+ two antennae?
wings (how many)?
= eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? soft?
Start by drawing the elytra
(hard fore wings) and
seutellum.
2. Add the pronotum, head,
and eyes.
3. Carefully draw the front
legs...
4, ..then the middle legs...
5, ...and finally the rear legs.
‘Add lines to the elytra.
6. Finish by adding shading,
6, if you have colored
pencils, by coloring the
beetle dark green with shiny
highlights, except for the
elytra, which are reddish
brown.
28 Draw Insects Lacewing ><>
Onder Neuropters (net-veined insects)
Family Chrysopidae (Green Lacewings)
‘these common insects don't fy very wel
but theyre reat at eating aphids, 50
theyre welcome in Ure garéen! They ly
laggs at the end of tiny stk, usualy 0°
foliage. They pupote in sen cocoons.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
two antennae?
‘wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Carefully draw the outline of
the wing.
2, Add two main veins...
3. ...and then create the
pattern of cells inside of
them.
4, Now add a row of veins and
cells at the top of the wing,
and fill in the center
section.
6. Draw one more row of cells
‘on the bottom.
7. Add the body and head
with its long antennae.
.. Draw the legs. Lightly shade
a bit in the wings.
Lovely lacewing!
Draw Insects 29 Ladybug Beetle
‘Order Coleoptera
Family Ceccinelidae
Labyiugs, also called Ladybird, are
welzome inthe garden becouse they feed
‘on aphids. They ako eat scoe insects f
‘and mites which otherwise damage
plants {
STUDY the final drawing -
before you start!
Do you see
* distinct body parts?
‘six legs?
‘antenna?
swing?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Draw the fore wing and the
shape that looks like the
head, but is actually the
pronotum, which covers the
head.
2. Add the front, middle, and
rear leg.
3. Make a line for the edge of
the stem, and draw the
other three legs
4. Add spots on the front wing
and pronotum, Draw the
antenna (one of two; the
‘other you can’t see), and the cast shadow.
beak. Add shading and a 7
cast shadow.
5. And now (YESH) make the
ladybug sucking the life out
of an aphid.
Guten appeti, ladybug!
30 Draw Insects Leaf Insect
‘Order Phasmatodes
Family Phyllidae (leaf insects)
‘ow insets nto plants 0 wel that
) thepont move dag the dy eve
wing thorax ev yeu pick therm up They cam a0 cop
\Fegitneesay then grow them back
Ce nat tine they me the abity to
tre plat suc coled
pintomimess (hough you'd want
now,
STUDY the final drawing
( before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
« six legs?
'* two antennae?
+ wings (how many)?
see?
Does the insect look
‘© shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘* hard? soft?
1, Starting with a center line,
draw the pear-shaped
wings.
Uf 2 Aad the thorax and head.
3. From the first segment of
the thorax, draw two skinny
front legs, then add the leaf
shape to them.
4, Draw the middle legs
connecting to the second
thorax segment, and the
rear legs sticking out from
under the wings. Add the
outline of the abdomen.
vo wings et 5 Add lines and shading to
cose together make it look like a leaf! Take
reserble one ket your time, and look closely
at the example for ideas.
‘Add camoutlage! Draw sticks
and leaves, so that someone
leoking at your drawing
won't even knovw there’s an
Insect there...
Draw Insects 31 Locust
‘Order Orthoptera
Suborder Caelfera
Certain grasshoppers are cae locust,
ftom the Latin word for grasshopper.
Only nine of §,000 species of te
Suborder Casera make mass migrations,
but wien they do, they eat al vegetaton
inthe poth, There's the Old Testarient
plague of locusts descending on Egy in
fread thorax abdomen
Imac times trains have been delayed
uring locist migrations becouse the
tracks were “sin” ror dead insects
Grasshopper Glacier in Montana s fll of
dood fcusts Inthe US in the 18705, 2
“ingle swarm was estimated to contain
124 bition insects.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
ings (how many)?
+ sin legs?
1. Start with two small circles
and a longer, rectangular
shape for the head, thorax,
and abdomen.
2. Draw the two front legs
stretched out either side.
‘Add details to the head, and
antennae,
3, Add the second, short pair
of legs pointing backwards,
and the much longer rear
legs. Draw short curved
lines for the abdominal
segments.
4, Carefully outline the wings.
5. Now add about a zillion
little veins and cells. Take
your time-it's worth it! Add.
shading and texture to the
body.
32 Draw Insects Louse
‘Order Anoplura
Family Pedicutidae
This particular louse, the Hunan Body
Louse sala called a “coote” or “gray
back.” tives on human bodes,
especialy those that arent woshed 100
Often or wear uncean clothing, and feeds
fon human blood. Ic oues litle white
933, called rs, fo hal, usualy on the
‘Bact ofthe head. (Now you can igure
fut where the frm “nitpicking” comes
liom)
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
‘two antennae?
wings?
ocyes?
Does the insect look
‘shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? soit?
1, Draw a small circle for the
‘head, a larger oval for the
thorax, and a much larger
oval for the abdomen.
Carefully divide the
abdomen into segments,
and add the little bits at the
tail end
3. Mark the thorax to show
where three pairs of legs
attach, and draw the rear
legs...
4, vathen the middle legs...
5, ...and finally the front legs.
‘Add more details to the
head.
6. Finally, add shading, little
bristly hairs and a few little
human hairs to hold on to.
Cute cootie!
Draw Insects 33 Luna Moth
Order Lepidoptera
Family Saturiee giant sikworm
mots)
Tis beout ple green moth is only
found.in Neth Areca, ane
Comideed endangered: Mary have been
‘ied by pesticides ond plutons
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
+ two antennae?
‘= wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘shard? soft?
1, Draw a cocoon-shaped oval
for the body, and add two
feathery antennae.
2. Carefully (and lightly) draw
one fore wing,
3. Carefully (and lightly) add
the other fore wing.
4. Draw the hind wings, with
their long tails. Go slowly;
turn your paper if it helps
you draw the curves.
5. Add wing veins, spots,
shading and texture. (If you
have colored pencils, shade
ita light green color, The
large costal vein is maroon.)
34 Draw Insects Mosquito
You cam tll ths fs female mosquito
Ieee thas ony @ few bars on the
antennae (on rales they're more
feathery), ond lacks the moe’ 0
“adetiono! beaks paips. Only the
Temvales bite. Mosquitoes can comvey
tiseases such as mari, general oniy
in topical arecs.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
‘six legs?
‘= two antennae?
‘e wings (how many)?
= eyes?
1. First, make some high-
pitched, whining noises to
get in the mood... Now
draw the head, thorax, and
abdomen,
2. Add the middle leg...
3. wathe front leg...
4, ..and the hind legs, curving
up into the air.
5. Draw the eye and antennae,
and the beak, or proboscis,
ready to do business. Add
texture to the thorax,
6. Add the wing, covering part
of the abdomen, and the
lines for abdominal
segments. Draw the other
hind leg.
7. Add the other two legs, and
shading, a bit of cast
shadow and a few human
hairs.
Draw Insects 35 Moth in flight
(Order Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae (Noctuid moths)
Mest moths are active at night
contias 0 batteries, which fly ony
‘during the day. Al but a very few moths
Suck nectar through their curved
froboschs ane primitive group has jaws
for eating poten. Unite buterizs,
moths rest with ther wings lke root
ver ther Badlies, fat over tii bodies, oF
fat against a support.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
six legs?
‘*two antennae?
* wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1, Draw a small circle for the
head, a smaller circle for the
eye, and a larger oval for
the thorax.
2. Add long antennae, and the
front leg.
3. Draw middle and rear leg.
4. Add the abdomen, and the
hind wing, showing the vein
patter in the wing.
5. Draw the fore wing and its
‘main veins.
6. Carefully add shading to
make the pattern in the
wings. Now add shading,
details and texture to the
body.
Mahvellous moth!
36 Draw Insects Mod Dauber
Order Hymenoptera
Family Sphecidae
Mud daubers are wasps that lay their
29g tubular cel made from mud. The
fermale porayzes a spider with venom,
“sis nto cell for food, lays an ea
‘top off, and seals of the cel wit
‘mud.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
‘six legs?
‘* two antennae?
‘© wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘hard? soft?
1. Start by drawing the head,
antennae, short neck, and
thorax.
2. Add the tong, thin pedicel
and the abdomen.
3. Draw the fore wing and hind
wing.
4, Add the long rear leg.
5. Add two more legs. Darken
the eye, leaving a white
spot to make it look shiny.
6. Lightly draw the three leas
‘on the far side of the body,
and add a litle bit of the
other fore wing. Carefully
draw veins in the wings,
and add shading.
Looks kind of like a
spaceship...
Drawinsects 37 head overlaps thorax
Potter Wasp
Order Hymenoptera
Femily Vespidae (vespld wasps)
Female potter wasps buitd sma
chambers a fck ike Hl jugs. Inside,
they hang an egg from a sta. They
then sting weevil iarvae to paralyze
them, and drop them ito the camber
for ther own lava (0 eat. These solitary
\wosps are normally Black ana yell.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
‘three body parts?
+ sic legs?
‘two antennae?
‘= wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
« shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? soft?
1. Draw the round head
overlapping the oval-shaped
thorax.
2. Add the pedicel, then the
‘abdomen, a pointed oval.
3, Draw the slender wings.
4, Add jointed antennae and
front leg.
5. Draw eyes and the other
two legs, then add the
wasp's clay “pot.”
6. Add shading, texture, veins
in wings and! pattern on
abdomen. Draw a few
blades of grass..
..and perhaps just the
slightest glimpse of the
weevil larva the wasp is
dropping in to feed her own
offspring (yum!).
38 Draw Insects raying Mantis
Order Mantodea
Family Mantidae
"he praying mantis wats in ambush,
suddenly moving its Spiny fore legs to
catch prey. With its strong mouthparts,
it can cut through the heads of tough
insects tke wasps Its tenble neck
‘means the mants can tun ts head to
‘ook at ou-a rather eerie teling!
Mootises are cannibals; the fervale
offen devours the mate while mating.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
* six legs?
* two antennae?
‘wings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1, Draw the long abdomen
and wing.
2, Add the thorax at a slight
angle, then eyes, head, and
mouthparts.
3. Draw the segments of the
front leg, raised and ready
to snare prey.
4, Add antennae and the
other front leg,
5. Draw the two rear legs.
Look carefully at the way
each bends.
6. Now add the other two
rear legs. Add shading,
texture, and details.
And ask yourself, “What is
that insect thinking when it
looks at me like that?”
Draw Insects 39 Pyrgotid Fly
‘Ocder Diptera
Famiy Pyigotidae
This isnot your normal insect attack! The
Pyrgote lis actully laying Rts eggs in
the back of the ing May beetle. When
the eggs hatch, the lave wil feed on
the beetle, ling it as they grow Forge:
Sounds ie @ science fiction fim.
STUDY the final drawing
‘before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
* two antennae?
wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
‘shiny? smooth? (uzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Draw the abdomen and hind
‘wings of the flying beetle.
2. Add six legs and the pattern
‘on the abdomen.
3. Draw the fore wings or elytra
(which, on beetles, don’t
move in flight). Leave space
for the attacker.
4, Add the head, thorax, and
abdomen of the attacker.
5. Draw the wings and
antennae of the fly.
6, Add shading with a dull
peneil, and go over lines
with a sharp pencil, to finish
your drawing.
Attack in midair!
40 Draw Insects Scarab Beetle
Order Coleoptera
Family Searabaetcae
This sone of avout 20,000 kines of
scarab beetle! Sore hove fooulous
metalic cofors; others dramatic hams. fl
have dstincine, dubbed antenroe
ipnclent Eoyptions put scabs in rac of
{her artwork and ther sun god had &
bate head, since they Delieved the sur
twas pushed through the shy the same
troy a dung beete ros bal of dung
‘along the ground.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
® three body parts?
+ six legs?
two antennae?
‘swings (how mary)?
eyes?
Which parts look
«© shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
‘shard? soft?
1. Draw the head (with tong
hom), thorax, and abdomen.
2. Add the protective fore
wings (elytra).
3, Erase the thorax outline
where the front wings
‘overlap it. Draw the hind
wings (used for flying).
4, Carefully draw the veins in
the wings, the front legs
and hind legs, and the club-
like antennae.
5, Add shading and details.
..cool beetle!
Draw Insects Shieldbug’*
‘Otder Hemiptera (true bugs)
Family Pentatomidae
Ladybugs can dalterowely release a tle
of ther own blond when attacked, in a
process called rellec bleeding. Wen
predators taste the extremely bitte,
bight orange: yellow blood, they learn to
‘associate the bright colors of tne ladybug
vith en undesirable meal. Aas, not this
Shield big, which s mune to the toxins
Inthe edyeug's bleed, and so red.ces
cur litle ophidting bend to a
Aesicated corpse
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
* three body parts?
«six legs?
+ two antennae?
‘swings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
«shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
+ hard? soft?
1. Lightly draw the center ine
and sides of the bug,
2. Divide thorax and abdomen,
and draw the scutellum.
3. Add front wings (hiding the
hind wings). The thickened
base is called the corium, the
thinner end the membrane,
4, Draw head, eyes, and
checkered sides of the
abdomen.
5. Add legs, beak and
antennae.
6. Finish your drawing with
shading, texture, and (of
course!) the victim.
contorine
42 Draw Insects Silverfish ><
‘Order Thysanure (common bristetals)
Family Lepsmatidae
The scaly covering ofthe svertish makes
it aitcul fr ants and spiders to grab it.
Teves in worm, dey or damp places such
{as cosets, and car be a pest eats
Storch stuf, including four, starch tn
othirg, rei book bindings. It con
survive witout food for months.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
+ three body parts?
+ six legs?
‘= two antennae?
wings (how many)?
eyes?
Does the insect look
«© shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1. Start by lightly drawing the
Jong, slightly curved,
pointed oval of the body,
and a much smaller oval for
the head.
2. Draw the segments of the
thorax and abdomen.
3 Add the distinctive, three-
part bristly
4, Make three little legs on one
side.
5, Add three legs on the other
side. Draw antennae and
the small mouth parts
(maxillary palps).
6. Add texture and shading,
and a slight cast shadow.
Scintillating silverfsh!
Drawinsects 43 Springtail ~
Order Collembola
Suborder Symphypleona
Thy wiglessspringtals come in many
vores. Same types of springal fie on
‘ce and sno! The furcua afows this type
to jump several inchos.Springtas may
‘umber several milion per are,
Scavenging and cleaning up. Usually
they not considered pests
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
six legs?
+ two antennae?
wings?
eyes?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
hard? soft?
1, Draw the head with eye,
and three thorax segments.
2, Add the jointed antenna
and front leg.
3. Draw two more legs.
4, Add the abdomen and the
farcula.
5. Draw segments of the
abdomen. Add the other
antenna and front leg.
6. Add shading and patterns.
See if you can make the
springtail look shiny by
leaving small white spots on
the top of the head, thorax,
and abdomen.
44 Draw Insects stink Bua ie;
‘Order Hemiptera (true bugs)
Family Pentatomidoe
‘tink bugs relecsefoulsmeling fuk
when disturbed. Some stink bugs et
Caterplars nd larvae, while ots lve
‘off plant sap.
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
‘= three body parts?
«six legs?
«# two antennae?
+= wings (how many)?
o eyes?
‘Does the insect look
'® shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
* hard? soft?
bose of wing
1. Lightly draw a center fine,
then the stinky head with its
stinky little eyes, and the
stinky thorax.
2. Add the triangular scutellum,
‘and one wing (the base of
the wing is solid; the end is
translucent).
3. Draw the other wing,
antennae, and the first
section of each leg.
4, Complete the legs.
5, Finish your drawing by
adding shading, details, and
texture. With a dull pencil,
make a cast shadow.
Draw Insects 45 Termite (worker)
(Order tsoptera
Most tame species feet on woods, which
they can cigest because of special
ImieroorgarismsB their intestines.
Termites con be very destructive to
uddlings. Like ants, they have a highhy
evolved society, with workers, solders,
land @ eprodctive caste which has
‘wings. Some speces even have a special
caste with nozzles Une heads for
secreting a fui to build and repair nests
With ths nozele, Chey can sproy repellent
cat invades. Beware, ants!
STUDY the final drawing
before you start!
Do you see
*= three body parts?
*# six legs?
+ two antennae?
wings?
sees?
Does the insect look
* shiny? smooth? fuzzy?
* hard? soft?
1. Draw the abdomen, thorax,
and head.
2. Divide the thorax into three
sections.
3. Carefully draw a pair of legs
attached to each section.
4, Divide the abdomen into
ten sections.
S. Draw antennae, mandibles
and other details of the
head. Add light shading and
little hairs.
a
mendes
(rsh parts)
46 Draw Insects i
Tiger Beetle
Order Coleoptera
Family Cidlelidae
Tiger beetles are usualy shiny metalic
