The Banded Argiope constructs an orb web (i.e. a typical spider web) at a slight angle to the vertical. The spider hangs on the underside of the web, head down, at its center. Occasionally the spider will decorate its web with a vertical zigzag band of silk (you can see a portion of this decoration on the top and bottom of the picture in the middle). For this reason the spider is sometimes called a "writing spider" (other Argiopes also create zigzag bands). The exact purpose of this decoration, called a stabilimentum, is not known.
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