[4] The male is black, with two thick white stripes running along either side of the head.

The cephalothorax is red and brown, with horizontal white streaks under the eyes.

It is found in from Sri Lanka and India east to China, Myanmar, Vietnam and there have been some unconfirmed reports from Japan and the Sundas.

[5] It is found in tropical and subtropical woodlands,[2] including gardens,[5] preferring thick foliage of short trees and shrubs.

[2] The species was first described as Plexippus viduus by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1846 and moved to genus Carrhotus by in 1999.