What evolutionary clue is provided by the developmental pattern of the stabilimentum in spiderlings versus mature spiders?

Spiderlings frequently build webs with a stabilimentum, but it may be reduced or eliminated as they mature or if environmental resources become scarce.

The developmental pattern reveals that the construction of the stabilimentum is not an absolute requirement throughout the spider's life but rather a flexible, resource-dependent trait, demonstrating plasticity. Spiderlings commonly incorporate this structure into their initial webs. However, if the spider matures or if environmental resources become scarce, the structure is often reduced or entirely eliminated. This suggests the stabilimentum is an expensive 'luxury item' in the spider's budget; its persistence requires that the derived benefit (safety or prey gain) outweighs the significant cost of the silk protein, especially when primary resources for the main capture spiral are competing for those materials.