The red and the black

Click for greater clarity.

No, not the novel by Stendhal, which I confess I haven’t read, but this red and black bug, which is perhaps in the genus Lopidea or Oncerometopus, on a Mexican hat, which is definitely Ratibida columnifera. Like yesterday’s photograph of a silverpuff seed head, I took this one on Harrogate Dr. in northwest Austin on August 13.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman