About Xysticus audax (Schrank, 1803)
Xysticus audax (Schrank, 1803) shows considerable variation in its coloration and patterning, which makes identification of this species challenging, especially for female individuals.
This is a trans-Eurasian temperate species that has a broad distribution across the Palearctic region. Its range extends from Iceland in the west, through the temperate belt of Eurasia, to Sakhalin and the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu in the east. It has been recorded in many countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Korea, and most European countries. Some existing records from Crete, Turkey, and Iran may need confirmation, as these may instead be misidentifications of closely related species.
Xysticus audax lives in a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, which includes meadows, groves, heathlands dominated by Calluna, and dry pine forests. It has also been collected from other vegetation and environment types, such as steppe slopes, mixed forests, and tundra.
