Observations by jdietrch

The head of this caterpillar looks a lot like Epargyreus clarus (Silver-spotted Skipper), but the body really doesn't match, though. I also considered Urbanus proteus (Long-tailed Skipper), which looks more like it, but I don't think it can be that either, because the pale lines on the U. proteus caterpillar should end in orange, which is not the case for this caterpillar.

Then while looking through some other possibilities, I came across Telegonus cellus (Golden-banded Skipper). There is one picture of its caterpillar on BG (https://bugguide.net/node/view/1579376). There are some additional photos on the Alabama Butterfly Atlas (https://alabama.butterflyatlas.usf.edu/species/details/23/golden-banded-skipper). They seem like a good match to what I saw.

The location was along the Cumberland Trail on a slope above a large creek.

As for its foodplant, it appeared that the caterpillar had been eating what I assumed was Hog Peanut. But I read on the Alabama Butterfly Atlas page that "Thicket Bean is now considered the primary (possibly sole) caterpillar host for Golden Banded-Skippers in the southeastern U.S." That made me remember that while we were looking at this caterpillar, we also noticed good-sized "bean pods", which, as far as I know, were on the same plant that this caterpillar had evidently been eating. I know that Hog Peanut does produce aerial legumes, but I did think that was a little strange, because what I had been seeing recently was quite a few blooming Hog Peanuts. I just supposed that this plant was a bit ahead of schedule compared to the others I've been seeing. But now I wonder if that plant may have been Thicket Bean.