Uns sobem, outros descem

The title of today’s post is a Portuguese proverb that says “Some go up, others go down.” This caterpillar was clearly on its way down, but I can’t come down with any certainty on what species it was, though it looks like it might have been the caterpillar of a saltmarsh moth, Estigmene acrea; if anyone seeing this can confirm or correct that guess, please do. The flowers in the background were Gaillardia pulchella, known as firewheels and Indian blankets, which abounded in central Texas this spring, as you’ve been seeing.

The date was May 17, and I found myself photographing along the entrance road to the Mahomet Cemetery in eastern Burnet County.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman