Are your insect drawing skills bugging you? Don't worry! We've got a whole swarm of insect drawing guides to help you learn how to sketch mosquitos, butterflies, bees, and more.
We suggest that you start with the easy and simple cartoon-style drawing tutorials.
Those are the ones that have smiling faces and big, pupiled eyes.
Cute cartoon-style bugs are great for telling stories or creating comics. They are reminiscent of your favorite characters from animated films like Antz, Bee Movie, and A Bug's Life.
Then, you can move on to the more complex realistic sketches. These anatomical drawings show beetles and other insects as they actually exist in nature.
And what a fascinating world the realm of insects is! These sketches are great for expanding your skills or creating school science projects.
You may be wondering, why are there no spiders on this list? Well, the reason is that despite the similarities, spiders are not insects or bugs. Spiders belong to another group of invertebrates called arachnids. Insects have three body segments and six legs, while spiders have two segments and eight legs.
But don't worry - if you need a spider to keep these insects under control, simply type the word "spider" in the search box above. We've got several varieties to suit your sketching needs!
Drawing bugs is all the buzz. Let's get started!
27 Easy Bug Drawing Tutorials
Bee Hive
Wild bees build their hives high in trees, out of the reach of humans and other animals. But for thousands of years, humans have raised and domesticated honey bees. They not only produce sweet, delicious honey, but they also provide the vital service of pollinating our food-producing plants.
Honeycomb
Bees build honeycombs inside their hives. Amazingly, the comb segments are always perfect hexagons. They fill some comb with honey, while others are used for raising baby bees.
Bed Bug
A bed bug is one creature you don't want to see on your next vacation. Use this drawing to educate your family about bedbugs, which sometimes live in hotel rooms. If you know what to look for, they are easy to avoid!
Moth
This moth may look like a beautiful butterfly, but can you spot the differences? The most obvious is the antennae. Butterflies have club-shaped antennae, while those of moths are shaped like feathers.
Mosquito
Look out, this cartoon mosquito looks hungry! Did you know? Only female mosquitoes bite. They must eat protein in order to lay eggs. Males, on the other hand, never bite - instead, they sip nectar from flowers like the butterflies!
Beetle
Stag beetles are an impressive sight because of the oversized jaws or mandibles that they use to wrestle one another. Don't worry, though - these big bugs don't have the jaw strength to pinch you.
Ant
An ancient proverb advises people to watch the ant and learn how not to be lazy. These creatures are always working to feed and defend the anthill.
Praying Mantis
The praying mantis is so named because its front legs appear to be folded as if in prayer. But they are actually deadly hunting weapons lined with sharp spikes, ready to grab unsuspecting insect prey!
Ladybug
The ladybug or ladybird beetle is one of the most recognizable beetles in the world. They're also good for the garden, as they eat small pest insects called aphids.
Cute Caterpillar
Wait, didn't we say insects had six legs? how did this guy get in here? Caterpillars are the larvae or babies of butterflies. After spinning a cocoon, its body will literally liquefy and be reformed into that of a butterfly.
Monarch Butterfly
Monarchs are one of the most recognizable butterflies in North America. Learn about the amazing multi-generational migration they make from Canada to Mexico each year.
Grasshopper
Did you know? Grasshoppers can use their leaper legs - their long rear legs - to jump long distances, but they also have concealed wings beneath their shells that allow them to fly. Grasshoppers also make "music" by rubbing their legs and wings together.
Fly
What's that annoying buzzing sound? It could be your pencil on paper as you draw this realistic housefly.
Cartoon Butterfly
Can you identify all the parts of this realistic cartoon butterfly? It has four wings, a head, abdomen, and thorax, two antennae, two multifaceted eyes, and six legs.
Dragonfly
This dragonfly is one of our realistic insect sketches. Dragonflies live near ponds and other bodies of water. They eat flies and mosquitos - up to 100 each day!
Cartoon Bee
Did you know? Honeybee hives can be home to 20,000 and 80,000 bees. If you drew the beehive above, it's time to get sketching - that's a big family!
Firefly
You can get 1,000 hugs from 10,000 lightning bugs if you want to draw that many. For a fun art project, fill a poster board with small firefly sketches, then punch a hole through the abdomen of each. Stick a fairy light through each hole and secure it with tape. You'll have a lightning bug backdrop that really twinkles!
Easy Bee
You'll bee busy when you learn how to draw this cute honey bee. It has a three-segmented body, a large striped abdomen, and teardrop-shaped wings.
Spider
This basic spider outline is a great place for beginners to start. You can clearly see its oval-shaped head and abdomen, its eight segmented legs, its fangs, and the web it is excreting.
Spider Web with Spider
Orb weaver spiders like this one make magnificent geometric webs - and you can too! Draw the spider and the spoked wheel pattern of its web.
Butterfly Garden
All of your bug sketches need a place to reside - why not a garden planted just for them? You will sketch blades of grass, daisy flowers, and a beautiful butterfly.
Black Widow Spider
Spiders aren't insects - they have only two body sections but eight legs. The black widow also has eight eyes arranged in two rows of four eyes each. Its most identifiable mark is the hourglass shape on its abdomen.
Simple Cute Butterfly
This butterfly doesn't stop with the natural beauty of its patterned wings. It also has large eyes, eyelashes, and antennae that curl into a heart shape.
Easy Cartoon Bug
This ladybug beetle represents the general idea of what a bug is. It has six legs and two antennae. You can't see them, but its split shell conceals its wings.
Rainbow Butterfly
This butterfly has exquisitely patterned wings. Show your love for nature (or your favorite person) through the heart-shaped pattern.
The Food Chain
Insects aren't autonomous creatures; they are part of the food chain. In this environment, the grasshopper feeds on plants and is eaten by birds.
Easy Cartoon Caterpillar
The caterpillar's body is made up of many segments. You will draw lots of overlapping ovals to create its body. Then, you will use teardrop shapes for the legs.
See a Google Web Story of this Easy Bug Drawing Ideas Blog Post.