Some of the highlights we've recently learned and have been discussing in class are listed below. New vocabulary words are highlighted.

• Stick insects have the ability to regenerate a leg.  (A starfish can do this too!)
• A baby praying mantis sometimes eats its siblings!
• Stick insects are herbivores and sometimes are called vegetarians.
• An insect's compound eyes have many facets.
• A praying mantis is a fierce predator that devours its prey. 
• Like people, some insects are social (preferring to be in a group), and some are solitary (preferring to be alone).
• Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each year. 
• Some ants raid a rival colony.  They sometimes steal the other colony's eggs and force the ants that hatch to become slave ants!
• Some insects have special mouth parts called palps that help pull their food into their mouths. 
• Insects that are mild-tempered can be handled easily. 
• Some animals and insects excavate a hole to make their home in the ground. 
• If an ant mound is disturbed, the ants evacuate quickly and come out to defend their colony.