Diagnosis. B. pulverosella shows no external similarity to the other Bohemannia species, it is more similar to Trifurcula (s.str.) species, but the male can be recognized at a glance by the absence of the 'velvet' patch on the underside of the hindwings; furthermore Trifurcula species always have at least two types of forewing scales and the females have a more pointed abdominal tip. Male genitalia differ from other two Bohemannia species by wider gnathos and triangular shape of valva. Female genitalia totally different in all three species.
Male. Wingspan: 6.2-7.5 mm. Head: frontal tuft orange; collar yellowish orange, comprising hair-scales only; scape shining silvery white; antenna with 34-38 segments (2 specimens). Forewing uniform grey fuscous, irrorate with ochreous grey, formed by one type of scale only: light bases, dark tips; cilia-line more or less conspicuous, terminal cilia silvery white. Hindwing light grey; frenulum and costal bristles present. Anal tufts dark grey. Female. Wingspan: 6.0-7.5 mm. Antenna with 28-30 segments. Venation. R1 separate. R+M+Cu with following branches: R2+3, R4, R5, M1, M2 and occasionally Cu. Male genitalia. Vinculum slightly concave. Tegumen not forming pseuduncus, blunt or rounded. Uncus band-like, with indistinct, truncate medial projection and two lateral setose pads. Gnathos with long triangular central element. Valva approximately triangular, with inwardly curved tip; a tongue-shaped projection dorsally, from outer margin inwards. Aedeagus broadest at base; dorsal carina with scaly sculpture; vesica with many large, triangular cornuti and one long spine- like cornutus of more than half aedeagus length, with spinose surface. Female genitalia. Terminalia broad and rounded. T VIII narrow, band-like, with many scales and setae; anal papillae wide, with more than 25 setae. Vestibulum with indistinct internal sclerotization. Bursa covered with groups of three small denticles; signa wide and indistinct. Ductus spermathecae with 8 convolutions.
Host plants: Malus sylvestris, M. domestica. Records from Pyrus are not confirmed, they might refer to B. atricollis. Egg: on either surface of leaf, near leaf margin. Larva: yellow, head pale. Distinguished from B. atricollis by colour and absence of ventral plates. Mine : starts as a gallery, often following leaf-margin, filled with brown frass; later the mine abruptly turns into a rounded or elongate blotch with irregular, central frass, often absorbing the early mine. Larval exit-hole on leaf underside. Cocoon: reddish brown.
Widespread in Denmark and in Sweden up to Upl. In Norway from several coastal localities, north to Åndalsnes. Widely distributed in southern Finland. - Throughout the British Isles, rare in the Netherlands. Also from many scattered localities in Central Europe, but not yet recorded from Belgium or Luxembourg. Also recorded from Rumania and Bulgaria.
Voltinism: univoltine, larvae feed early: in late June or July, in the north until August. Adults on the wing in May.
Description based on van Nieukerken and Johansson (1990)