Stabilimenta in Spiders

This Black-and-Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia) was found in some shrubs in the center of Charlotte. (Photographed by Rauch: Sept. 21, 2002). .

The Argiope does not take its web down in the evening and thus risks having its web destroyed in the evening by accidental interlopers such as squirrels, mice, and birds (including the Rufous-sided Towhee -see below). The Argiope thus, according to Eisner and Nowicki (1983) , incorporates a conspicuous element to its web that, by drawing attention to the web, will divert animals from destructive collisions with it. These "stabilimenta," which were originally --as the name suggests-- believed to be structural elements of the web, thus serve another function.

The Rufous-sided Towhee, sometimes called the Ground Robin, It is a common bird in low shrubs and leafy areas.