Overview
- A peer-reviewed study published in PLOS One reports that stabilimenta can modify how vibrations travel across orb webs.
- Researchers paired field observations of wasp spider stabilimentum shapes with numerical models, testing normal, juvenile, reduced, platform, drafted, and absent designs.
- For waves traveling in line with the spiral threads, webs with stabilimenta spread vibrations to more potential sensing points across the web.
- For waves perpendicular to the web plane or to the radial threads, the decorations produced negligible effects on propagation.
- The authors caution that real-world benefits for prey localization may be limited and other functions remain plausible, while the mechanics could inspire web‑inspired materials with tunable wave behavior.