Nature! Up close!

Howdy folks, Jayme here again to share a little bit of nature's beauty I'm fortunate enough to stumble across now and again. I was taking a walk along a country lane in Bastrop with my little boy when this colorful little fellow caught our attention. I'd never see such striking coloration on a caterpillar, and immediately thought the maroon and gold indicated the larval form of a Texas State University Bobcat!



The boy and I watched it munch happily on its leaf for a while, then continued our walk. Later, I grabbed my camera and macro lens and went back in hopes it would still be there. It was--and even better, was willing to pose for me as long as I wanted to shoot. A little online research told me this was a Danaus gilippus caterpillar, the larval form of the Queen butterfly, a lesser-known relative of the famous Monarchs. At any rate, it's a beautiful caterpillar and I'm happy to share!