Question

add the sentence that best establishes the topic of the paragraph.
______ the insect’s name comes from the striking black - and - white pattern found on female members of the species. far from helping the insect to camouflage itself, the bold contrast in colors is a visual warning system, telling predators to be wary of the panda ant’s painful sting. to further defend itself, the insect also uses sound. scientists have learned that the panda ant can rub its antennae together to produce long, repetitive noises at high frequencies. although undetectable to humans, the sounds are thought to be particularly aggravating to potential predators such as rodents and reptiles.
the injury from the sting of the chilean panda ant, a kind of wasp, is reason to stay away.
the chilean panda ant shares something in common with pandas that are native to china.
the chilean panda ant is a species of stinging wasp that is skilled at warding off predators.
the coast of chile is home to the panda ant, a wasp that prefers warm, sandy regions.

Explanation:

The paragraph focuses on how the panda ant defends itself from predators, including its color pattern as a warning and sound production. The correct topic sentence needs to introduce the species and its key trait of warding off predators, which aligns with the rest of the content. Other options either focus only on the sting, a superficial similarity to pandas, or its habitat, which do not set up the paragraph's main focus.

Answer:

The Chilean panda ant is a species of stinging wasp that is skilled at warding off predators.