Foraging theory was first developed to predict the behaviour of widely‐foraging animals that
actively search for prey. Although the behaviour of sit‐and‐wait predators often follows …

A number of taxonomically diverse species of araneoid spiders adorn their orb-webs with
conspicuous silk structures, called decorations or stabilimenta. The function of these …

Spiders are the preeminent silk craftsmen among arthropods and are best known for
producing aerial orb webs that snare flying insects. Orb web spiders are ubiquitous …

Spider silks exhibit remarkable properties, surpassing most natural and synthetic materials
in both strength and toughness. Orb-web spider dragline silk is the focus of intense research …

The costs of courtship and mating may include increased risks of predation, the transmission
of pathogens, and a loss of foraging opportunities. Thus, a female's decision to tolerate a …

We evaluated several formulae to estimate the capture area (the area of the web covered by
capture spirals) and the mesh height (the distance between capture spirals) of orb webs …

Animals use behavioural plasticity to cope with conflicting selective pressures. We
investigated how prey availability affects the spinning of cobwebs, whose architecture …

A typical feature of vertical orb-webs is the 'top/bottom'asymmetry, where the lower web
region is larger than the upper web region. This asymmetry may improve prey capture …

The reach of artificial light at night (ALAN) is growing rapidly around the globe, including the
increasing use of energy‐efficient LED lights. Many studies document the physiological …

Stabilimenta are zigzag and spiral designs of seemingly conspicuous silk included at the
centers of many spider webs. We examined the association of stabilimenta with the ability of …