Lepidocyrtus lanuginosus is a predominantly pale species with traces of blue pigment on the head, thorax and legs. The second thoracic segment is not prominent and there are no scales on the legs or antennae. It reaches 2.0 mm in length and is very common in damp habitats rich in organic matter.
     Most of the specimens of Lepidocyrtus in the NHML slide collection are too opaque to allow the chaetotaxy to be described. However, one individual from Chazey Heath near Reading is particularly well-cleared and it is possible to make out the arrangement of setae on the abdomen (Fig. 1) and the labium (Fig. 2 and 3). The empodium is long and tapering (Fig. 4) as in all Lepidocyrtus (apart from Lepidocyrtus ruber).

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Fig. 2 (above) and Fig. 3 (below): Labium on the right side of the head at two levels of focus of the same specimen of Lepidocyrtus lanuginosus shown in Fig. 1. The three macrosetae (1, 2 and 3) at the base of the labium are 'ciliated'.

Fig. 1 (above): Dorsal side of the right side of the fourth abdominal segment of Lepidocyrtus lanuginosus of 1.2 mm in length collected from Chazey Heath near Reading in 1986 by M.N. Wetton. The distal part of the trichobothrium (trich) is not in the plane of focus but extends for some distance to the right off the edge of the photograph. The arrangement of setae e, a, m and mp agrees reasonably well with descriptions in the literature except for the presence of an additional seta (labelled ?). At the moment, it is not possible to resolve this paradox. Ant, anterior; Post, posterior.

Fig. 4 (above): Foot of the third leg of the same specimen of Lepidocyrtus lanuginosus shown in Fig. 1.