Philodromus praedatus

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 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.

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.