It's neat to think about how that would evolve. I'm assuming as the beginning those two surfaces where without gear teeth and only relied on friction. As the in

It's neat to think about how that would evolve. I'm assuming as the beginning those two surfaces where without gear teeth and only relied on friction. As the insect evolved, the insects with a more tougher surface there would be able to get more friction and thus force transfer leading to further hops. Take that to the extreme and you've got gears!