Instar Light, Instar Bright

According to the good bug people at Bugguide.net, this is an instar caterpillar of the Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus). Here’s the adult, also seen at BBP. The caterpillar was munching away on some Desmodium trifoliatum. There is some variability in the coloring of these caterpillars; this one was pretty much the color of the flowers, which the young caterpillars eat before moving onto the leaves. Did it pick up some that chemistry? At first I thought it was part of the plant, good camouflage.