Carrhotus viduus (C. L. Koch, 1846)

Figs 4–6

Plexippus viduus Koch, 1846: 104, fig. 1166 (original description).

Carrhotus viduus: Jastrzębski, 1999: 4, figs 8–11.

Plexippus gajbei Karthikeyani et Kannan, 2013: 43, figs 1a–c (original description); synonymized by Caleb (2016a).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Vietnam: Ben Tre Province, Ben Tre City, low shrubs in front of government buildings, 10.229174N, 106.413805E, h= 2 m, 3. III 2025, 1♂, coll. Tam Van Truong (CTU-SP.001.01); Long An Province, Can Giuoc District, low shrubs inside the Can Giuoc High School Campus, 10.59817N, 106.65966E, h= 2 m, 20.III 2025, 1♂, coll. Dang Bao Tran (CTU-SP.001.02).

DESCRIPTION OF VIETNAMESE SPECIMENS (measurements in mm). Male: body length 6.10-7.46, carapace length 3.32-3.62, width 2.58-2.93; abdomen length 2.91-3.54, width 1.99-2.19. Leg measurements: I = 7.17-8.88 (2.09-2.45, 1.25-1.59, 1.72-2.28, 1.2- 1.61, 0.91-0.95), II 5.79-6.76 (1.83-2.10, 1.11-1.26, 1.25-1.45, 0.92-1.11, 0.68-0.84), III 6.12-6.82 (1.87-2.10, 1.15-1.2, 1.18-1.45, 1.12-1.22, 0.8-0.85), IV 6.32-6.92 (1.86-2.05, 1.09-1.13, 1.20-1.47, 1.21-1.26, 0.96-1.01). Carapace robust and relatively broad, blackish brown in live specimens, sparsely covered with long black setae, and bearing two distinct longitudinal stripes of white setae. Sternum oval, brown; labium and maxillae yellowish brown with paler outer margins. Clypeus brownish; eyes encircled by dense black orbital setae. Chelicerae brown, with curved outer margins and excavated inner margins; cheliceral dentition comprising two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Abdomen ovoid, blackish brown, bearing two longitudinal bands of white setae; dorsum entirely covered with sparse whitish setae. Mid-dorsum with four median beige maculae of varying shapes, covered with black scales. Ventral surface greyish, with a broad blackish-brown median field flanked by two wide longitudinal whitish bands. Spinnerets are brown, with a dorsal patch of black setae. Leg I is distinctly robust; femora I–IV are dark brown dorsally; patellae and tibiae are uniformly dark brown; and metatarsi and tarsi of all legs are similarly dark brown (Fig. 4). The palps dark brown, embolus short, thick, and blunt apically. Bulbus with a distinct posterolateral process. The retrolateral tibial apophysis is only slightly bent ventroapically, strongly curved, and claw-like in shape (Figs 5–6).

HABITAT. The specimens were collected from dense low shrubs.

REMARKS. The specimens from Vietnam exhibit similar characteristics, consistent with those of this species reported from other locations (Kumar et al., 2021).

DISTRIBUTION. Iran, India, Nepal, China (WSC, 2025), Vietnam (new record).