Platythomisus sudeepi

This spider, Platythomisus sudeepi, is found near the Goa border in India, around Castle Rock in Karnataka. Earlier reports mistakenly gave wrong coordinates pointing to the Arabian Sea, but the corrected location confirms its presence on land. Since only a few specimens were found, more research is needed to fully understand how much variation exists within the species, especially in female reproductive features.

It has a reddish-orange body when alive, with a flat, wide abdomen that becomes wrinkled along the edges. There are three black bands across its abdomen, and the back band is the widest. The carapace is smooth, shiny, and marked with four black spots that form a trapezium. Its legs are long and thin, with different segments showing a mix of black, red, and yellowish colors. The leg lengths follow the order: leg II is the longest, followed by I, IV, and then III.

The eyes are placed on the front black spots, and the rest of the body shows many small details. The spinnerets are black, and the underside of the abdomen has a dark patch. In females, the reproductive parts (spermathecae) are oblong with folds and located close together at the tip. A U-shaped hood is seen below them, which helps identify the species. Though earlier drawings showed slightly different shapes, more samples are needed to confirm these differences.