Signature Spider - Moult

Argiope luzona (Walckenaer, 1841). Pic #1 (Jan 17). This young, female, sub-adult Argiope luzona was pictured with a very unusual web repair which was featured in a previous spotting (please see Notes). Pic #2.(Jan 18). Shows that her abdomen had, within 24 hours, become swollen. However, it was not just "swollen" which would probably have suggested that she was gravid. The stripes and colours on her carapace had become faded. The combination of swelling and fading colours indicated that she was moulting. Pic #3. (Jan 19). Just as expected, there was the female, back on the hub and her exuvia an inch or two away, stuck to the web. Pic #4. (Cropped from #3) The little bit of whitish material is also part of the exuvia. It is the Tracheae (internal breathing tubes). They get pulled out , during the moult because they are attached to the spiracles on the exoskeleton. The spider is not harmed, because the replacement Tracheae develop before the moult. Wikipedia has a great article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exoskeleton... Pic #5. (Jan 21) The spider looks like it has made a good recovery from the moult. All I want to see now is a Stabilimentum which will prove that everything is back to normal in the life of this amazing little spider. Pic #6. (Jan 22) There it is, a small, but important Stabilimentum.