Galapagos Species Database

With a wingspan of about 5 mm, this is among the smallest of all Lepidoptera species of the Galapagos. Its wing pattern, biology (an early instar leaf miner on Cordia lutea) , and general shape and structure of the ribbed cocoon will immediately separate it from other moths of the archipelago, From its sister specie. B. carihhea, it differs in possessing more distinct forewing strigulae (fig. 2), the male valva has a more slender, curved costal lobe (fig. 47), and the anterior portion of the female corpus bursae is more attenuated and possesses a more elongate, slender signa Description: Frons white; vertex with long and erect piliform scales mostly brown in middle, with more white scaling peripheral to tuft than in B. carihhea, with few broader, white scales along occiput; maxillary palpi and pilifers as in B. carihhea; labial palpi one segmented, kidney-shaped, poorly sc lerotized, especially toward apex, not extending beyond margin of labrum ; antenna 2/3 length of forewing; scape mostly white, with few brown-tipped scales; pecten made of 12-15 white scales; flagellum with alternate brown and white rings throughout, 19segmented (n= I); first male tlagellomere not curved , about twice as long as pedicel (first two tlagellomeres apparently fused); haustellum not much longer than diameter of eye. Thorax mostly covered with brown-tipped white scales. Foreleg white with brown laterally on femur, tibia, tarsomere I, and apex of tarsomeres ll-IV. Midleg white with brown laterally on femur, on tibia laterally as two large diagonal bands at base and subapically, on second half of tarsomere I, and apex of tarsomeres II-IV. Hindleg white with pale greyish brown on most of lateral suIface of tibia, and brown dorsally on second half of tarsomere I, and apex of tarsomeres II-IV. Forewing length: 1.83 - 2.17 mm (holotype = 2.0 mm). Forewing white with pallern of brown and brown-tipped scales as large band subbasally, sometimes appearing diagonal; large Vshaped marking connecting middle of costa to inner margin at about 2/3 and costa again at 3/4; posterior branch of V connected to apical patch by narrow longitudinal band near middle; subbasa l band loosely connected with V-shaped marking by few scales near cubital fold; larger basal scales of fringe pale greyish brown at base and

Larva feeds on leaves of Cordia lutea.