The adaptive signifi cance of stabilimenta in orb-webs: a hierarchical approach

Conditional strategy theory provides a theoretical and experimental framework from which to predict both population differences in the expression of alternative behavioral phenotypes and the condition above and below which individuals will perform different tactics. Here I briefly review the current functional explanations for stabilimentum production in orb-web spiders and reinterpret previous results within a conditional strategy framework. I argue that using this framework and incorporating a hierarchical approach to the multiple possible selective benefits of the structure is sufficient to explain some of the seemingly contradictory results in the literature.