Final answer:
Spiders are most likely to contest and potentially fight over a 1) high-quality website when they are of similar size. Web elasticity is significant for prey capture and spiders' survival in their ecosystem is crucial for insect population control.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two spiders meet to contest a potential website, the factor that will predispose the two individuals to fight is a high-quality website and spiders of similar size. This is because both spiders would perceive that they have an equal chance at securing the high-quality site for themselves, leading to competition. Similar-sized spiders would more likely engage in a contest as they are evenly matched, much like the principle quoted, 'if equally matched, we can offer battle'. Whereas, if the spiders differ significantly in size, the smaller one might avoid confrontation altogether due to the disadvantage. Additionally, the value of the website itself matters; spiders are less likely to fight over a website of low quality due to the reduced benefit from possessing it. Spiders spin webs as an effective means of capturing prey. The elasticity of the web is crucial because it allows the web to absorb the kinetic energy of the prey without breaking, just as a small stress is required to deform a spider web. Spiders avoid becoming stuck in their own webs by having specialized oils on their legs and by carefully navigating their non-sticky strands. In their ecosystem, spiders play an important role in controlling insect populations and thus maintaining ecological balance.