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Size limits on dragonflies
by
Stephen W. Hurrell
by
Stephen W. Hurrell
Abstract
Dragonflies are obviously limited in size by physical constants during flight. However, various studies on dragonflies have shown that the exact physical mechanism limiting their size is still unclear. This paper shows that increasing dragonfly size would increase the stress levels in the wing. The increasing wing stress must exceed the maximum allowable stress in the wing tissue at some point and the wing would begin to fail if the dragonfly became any larger. It is proposed that failure of the wing is the true physical size limit for dragonflies.
Suggested Citing Format
Hurrell, S.W. (2022). Size limits on dragonflies. dinox.org https://tinyurl.com/yckjamcu
Page created 25 Apr 2022
Page updated 07 Mar 2023
Page updated 07 Mar 2023
