I believe (but might be wrong as I’ve read a bunch of books this year on bees - it’s my first year beekeeping!) that the source for this info is this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29499054
The thorax/wings have a "stroke" limit, and are not repairable after the final instar (i.e. once they begin flying, nothing gets repaired). It's not just flightmiles, any wing usage rolls the lifetime odometer (e.g. fanning, flying, dancing).
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Add Dr. Thomas Seely's "Honeybee Democracy" to your reading list.
Also, if interested, the best book I read this year was recommended on this site and is this: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14359367