From my archives

Sometimes what I'm seeing and thinking about in one season remind me of things I saw in another.  That was the case today when I pondered various survival mechanisms of insects and plants that survive the winter.  In the case of insects, extreme fertility is a major survival method.   So long as natality is equal to or greater than mortality, the species survives.  In the case of gumplant (top photo), what do you suppose that wad of "gum" has to do with survival?  The insects mating in the bottom photo are Pacific Ambush Bugs, and the plant they are on is Tansy.