White Running Spider (Philodromus albinus)

The ID of this tiny white spider must be taken as 'likely', not definitive.

Philodromus rufus was recently split into two species, separated only by dissection and genital inspection.

However, whereas P. albinus is sometimes locally commoin throughout the south east of the UK, P rufus appears to have a far more restricted range, predominently in London and parts of Essex.

Although I found this tiny juvenile on vegetation in my pond, the majority of records are from trees or bushes at the edge of clearings or in hedgerows.

Spray drift from the use of pesticides on crops is likely to affect the survival of this spider, as well as many other invertebrates, where arable fields are adjacent to woodland or hedgerows.