Ceratophysella scotica is a common and widespread inhabitant of wet habitats, particularly Sphagnum bogs. It is easy to identify as the empodial appendage is longer than the claw and terminates in a fine filament which is easy to see, even in uncleared specimens (Fig. 1).
     Ceratophysella scotica belongs to the 'armata group' with setae p1>p2 on abd4 (Fig. 2).

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Fig. 1 (above): Foot of leg3 of Ceratophysella scotica collected from Blea Tarn near Ambleside, Cumbria in September 1956 by Peter Lawrence.

Fig. 2 (left): Arrangement of setae on the dorsal side of the fourth abdominal segment of the same specimen of Ceratophysella scotica shown in Fig. 1. There are 3+3 axial setae (a1, m1, p1) on abd4; p2 is also smaller than p1 which is a macroseta (M).