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As arthropods increase in linear dimensions, their volume and mass expand by a factor of 3 while muscle cross-sectional area increases only by a factor of 2, setting strict upper limits on terrestrial insect size.
Their diminutive size means their muscle-power-to-body-mass ratio is vastly higher than larger vertebrates, allowing chitinous apodemes to store elastic recoil energy.
Insects utilize unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms, primarily leading-edge vortex (LEV) generation, which delays dynamic stall during rapid figure-8 wing strokes.