ID please for crazy looking spider from Colombia

Bogota, Colombia

We saw this spider in out Christmas holidays in the Los Llanos region of Colombia. Having shared this photos, I had a question as to what is extra web decoration in an X formation is for - for which I have no idea. Which also made me curious as to what sort of spider this is. Interesting also that it keeps 2 sets of legs together while resting. The spider was about 2-3 inches, and while we were there it caught and wrapped a fairly large (4-5 inch) butterfly it's web. Thanks in advance for any input.

Thumbnail by jimahy
Minot, ND

This is an orb weaver in the genus Argiope, likely Argiope argentata, known as the silver argiope (see http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/spiders/Argiope%20argentata.htm). The function of the X shaped structure (the stabilimentum) in the web is not known for certain.

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