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spider in the garden

Quite the stabilimentum here...

 

"A stabilimentum (plural: stabilimenta), also known as a web decoration, is a conspicuous silk structure included in the webs of some species of orb-web spider. Its function is a subject of debate...There is much controversy surrounding the function of these structures, and it is likely that different species use them for different purposes....It has been suggested that stabilimenta could provide protection to the spider by either camouflaging it (by breaking up its outline), or making it appear larger (by extending its outline)...make the web visible and therefore animals such as birds are less likely to damage the spider's web...The other dominating hypothesis is that web decorations attract prey by reflecting ultraviolet light...."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilimentum

 

 

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Uploaded on May 11, 2023
Taken on May 10, 2023