High G-Force tolerance in insect larvae is not correlated with ecological selection

Among other differences between vertebrates and invertebrates, insects tolerate extreme gravitational forces.  In some insects, simply jumping from leaf to leaf generates more than 500x the force of gravity (g-force) while vertebrates lose consciousness at around 10 g-forces. We tested the g-force tolerance of insect larvae by spinning them for three minutes in a centrifuge.   We tested small and large mealworms, Tenebrio molitor, and wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella.  Most small mealworm larvae survived more than 2,000 g-force while larger mealworms were alive but with injuries including body wall ruptures at 2,000 g-forces.  Most of the soft-bodied wax worm larvae survived up to 4,700 g-forces without apparent body damage.  The results of these experiments suggest that small organisms with soft-bodies that rely on tracheal systems to deliver oxygen have exceptional resistance to gravitational forces that are not correlated to ecological selection.