Stabilimenta are conspicuous lines or spirals of silk, included by many diurnal spiders at the center of their otherwise cryptic webs. It has been shown spider webs using stabilimenta catch, on average, 34% fewer insects than those without. However, webs with the easily-visible markings are damaged far less frequently by birds flying through the web. It is an evolutionary tradeoff the spider can influence every time it builds a new web. The inclusion of stabilimenta is influenced by many factors, including prey density and web location.  Read the scientific study at Behavioral Ecology magazine.

In any event, stabilimenta or no, an orbweaver spder planted firmly head-down in her web amongst tall weeds and grasses remains maddeningly invisible to man and beast.