Proctostephanus madeirensis is a pale grey/violet species (up to 1.3 mm in length) which is known only from industrial waste tips in Swansea and Liverpool. It was probably introduced to the UK from Portugal or Madeira. Its most distinctive character is the prominent 'crown' on the dorsal side of the fifth abdominal segment (Fig. 1).

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Fig. 1: Prominent 'crown' on the dorsal side of the fifth abdominal segment of Proctostephanus madeirensis collected from a waste tip near Swansea in 1973 by Peter Lawrence.