East-Mexican White-Skipper at Santa Ana NWR, 9/14/13

This morning I decided to go birding along the tour road at Santa Ana NWR as everywhere else is pretty muddy due to the recent rains.  Birds were a bit disappointing but I could could tell it might be good for butterflies as many of the native plants were in bloom.  As it warmed up I found some blooming Tenaza with a Ruddy Daggerwing and a Sickle-winged Skipper among the hundreds of American Snouts.  Then about 100 yards past Bobcat Trail I found what I was hoping for...East-Mexican White-Skipper Heliopetes sublinea.  A few weeks ago Mike Rickard found one on the Bobcat Trail and has seen more since then.

And then the rains came.  This was a new bug for me.  I had always expected the ID to be a bit difficult but it's pretty straight forward.  Look for the two white fingers on the middle part of the forewing.