AraneaePhilodromidae

Philodromus praedatus

This record describes Philodromus praedatus (species). Recorded family: Philodromidae. Recorded order: Araneae.

Species facts at a glance

Size: male: 3.5 to 5 mm female: 4 to 7 mm. Very variable in colour, usually brown or yellowish brown, marked with spots or blotches. Males often patterned more intensely, sometimes uncoloured dark brown. Prosoma often with broad light median band, spotted laterally. Legs yellowish-grey, or brown with dark spots. Opisthosoma with light median band, often with dark cardiac mark.
Habitat: The spider is typically found on mature oak trees in open situations, in wood pasture, at the edge of woodland rides or in old hedgerows, but it has also sometimes been beaten from other trees such as Field Maple. There may sometimes be a particular association with oak branches where the foliage has been attacked and the leaves have a yellowish-green, reddish and curled appearance. Females have been found with their egg-sac in curled oak leaves.
Season: Adults of both sexes have been found between late May and the end of July with most records in June and early July.

Identification and Appearance

Philodromus praedatus - Philodromus praedatus

Feature	Description
Body	Body length male: 3.5 to 5 mm female: 4 to 7 mm. Very variable in colour, usually brown or yellowish brown, marked with spots or blotches. Males often patterned more intensely, sometimes uncoloured dark brown. Prosoma often with broad light median band, spotted laterally.
Legs	Legs yellowish-grey, or brown with dark spots. Opisthosoma with light median band, often with dark cardiac mark. Confirmation of this species: Requires examination at high magnification in good lighting, typically examination of the genitalia. Bee, L., Oxford, G., & Smith, H. (2020). Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide. Second Edition. Princeton University Press. The spider is typically found on mature oak trees in open situations, in wood pasture, at the edge of woodland rides or in old hedgerows, but it has also sometimes been beaten from other trees such as Field Maple. There may sometimes be a particular association with oak branches where the foliage has been attacked and the leaves have a yellowish-green, reddish and curled appearance. Females have been found with their egg-sac in curled oak leaves. Adults of both sexes have been found between late May and the end of July with most records in June and early July. Not very common –the species is widespread in southern and eastern England, but there are rather few records in the south-west, Wales, northern England and central Scotland. https://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Summary/s/Philodromus+praedatus No additional images available for this species.

Feature

Description

Body

Body length male: 3.5 to 5 mm female: 4 to 7 mm. Very variable in colour, usually brown or yellowish brown, marked with spots or blotches. Males often patterned more intensely, sometimes uncoloured dark brown. Prosoma often with broad light median band, spotted laterally.

Legs

Legs yellowish-grey, or brown with dark spots. Opisthosoma with light median band, often with dark cardiac mark. Confirmation of this species: Requires examination at high magnification in good lighting, typically examination of the genitalia. Bee, L., Oxford, G., & Smith, H. (2020). Britain's Spiders: A Field Guide. Second Edition. Princeton University Press. The spider is typically found on mature oak trees in open situations, in wood pasture, at the edge of woodland rides or in old hedgerows, but it has also sometimes been beaten from other trees such as Field Maple. There may sometimes be a particular association with oak branches where the foliage has been attacked and the leaves have a yellowish-green, reddish and curled appearance. Females have been found with their egg-sac in curled oak leaves. Adults of both sexes have been found between late May and the end of July with most records in June and early July. Not very common –the species is widespread in southern and eastern England, but there are rather few records in the south-west, Wales, northern England and central Scotland. https://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Summary/s/Philodromus+praedatus No additional images available for this species.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Philodromidae
Genus: Philodromus

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Habitat

The spider is typically found on mature oak trees in open situations, in wood pasture, at the edge of woodland rides or in old hedgerows, but it has also sometimes been beaten from other trees such as Field Maple. There may sometimes be a particular association with oak branches where the foliage has been attacked and the leaves have a yellowish-green, reddish and curled appearance. Females have been found with their egg-sac in curled oak leaves.

Seasonal Activity

Adults of both sexes have been found between late May and the end of July with most records in June and early July.

Additional species information

Recorded status

Not very common –the species is widespread in southern and eastern England, but there are rather few records in the south-west, Wales, northern England and central Scotland.

About Spiders: the wider group

Order-level background for Araneae, the group containing Philodromus praedatus. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

As of 2023, 51,673 spider species in 136 families have been recorded, though an estimated 150,000 species exist. Spiders rank 7th in total species diversity among all organism orders. Only 0.5% of spider species pose any risk to human health.

Ecological role of the group

Spider venom contains complex peptides with diverse pharmacological activities, making them valuable for drug development research. Spiders produce up to 7 types of silk from specialized glands. Spider silk genes have been inserted into mammals and plants for biotech applications.

Economic and practical significance of the group

The global spider community kills an estimated 400-800 million tons of prey annually (2017 study). Spiders provide billions of dollars in natural pest control for agriculture. Spider silk is 5× stronger than steel of the same diameter, driving a biomaterials research industry.

Recorded sources for this group: World Spider Catalog, PNAS, Nature, ScienceDirect. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

Explore Araneae families and species →

Photos of Philodromus praedatus (5)

Frequently Asked Questions About Philodromus praedatus

What is Philodromus praedatus?

Philodromus praedatus is a species in the family Philodromidae, within the order Araneae.

How big is Philodromus praedatus?

Feature	Details
Male	3.5 to 5 mm
Female	4 to 7 mm. Very variable in colour, usually brown or yellowish brown, marked with spots or blotches. Males often patterned more intensely, sometimes uncoloured dark brown. Prosoma often with broad light median band, spotted laterally. Legs yellowish-grey, or brown with dark spots. Opisthosoma with light median band, often with dark cardiac mark.

Where is Philodromus praedatus found?

Habitat: The spider is typically found on mature oak trees in open situations, in wood pasture, at the edge of woodland rides or in old hedgerows, but it has also sometimes been beaten from other trees such as Field Maple. There may sometimes be a particular association with oak branches where the foliage has been attacked and the leaves have a yellowish-green, reddish and curled appearance. Females have been found with their egg-sac in curled oak leaves.

When is Philodromus praedatus active?

Philodromus praedatus: seasonal activity - Adults of both sexes have been found between late May and the end of July with most records in June and early July..