How does the silk comprising the stabilimentum differ chemically and physically from the capture silk?
Answer
It is coarse, opaque, and non-sticky
The silk used to construct the stabilimentum has fundamentally different characteristics than the silk forming the sticky capture spiral of the orb web. Specifically, the material used for the zigzag decoration is described as being coarse in texture, completely opaque rather than translucent, and crucially, it is non-sticky. This difference in composition suggests it is not intended for entrapping prey directly but serves other roles, such as signaling or structural modification. This distinction is vital to understanding the varied hypotheses regarding the stabilimentum's overall function within the spider's hunting apparatus.
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