About Ethmia bittenella Busck, 1906
Ethmia bittenella is a moth species that belongs to the family Depressariidae. Within the United States, this species occurs from southern Texas. In Mexico, its range extends to southern and central regions including Chiapas and Guerrero, and it also occurs northward along the country’s west coast to Sinaloa and Sonora. The moth is additionally found in northwestern Costa Rica. The forewings of Ethmia bittenella measure 7.4–9.6 mm (0.29–0.38 inches) in length. The base color of the forewings is white, marked with blackish brown patches; markings running longitudinally through the center of the wing reflect a metallic blue sheen. The base color of the hindwings is whitish near the body, fading to pale brownish on the outer apical half of the wing. Adult moths are active in February, March, May, June, and November in Texas, and from late June to August in Sonora and Sinaloa. Larvae of this species may feed on Ehretia anacua. Pupae of Ethmia bittenella have been collected in stem galleries of Pseudabutilon lozani, and this location is likely only used as a pupation site.
