Abstract
Members of the astigmatine family Algophagidae occur in a wide variety of habitats. Many are aquatic and live fully submerged, whereas others are semi-aquatic and wade in liquid, and yet others are alleged to be completely terrestrial. One of the major characteristics of the family Algophagidae is the presence of axillary organs, which are sclerotized bands of cuticle located on each side of the propodosoma between legs I and II. To date, the fine structure of the axillary organs has been described for only two species, Algophagus pennsylvanicus Fashing and Wiseman, a fully aquatic species in the subfamily Algophaginae that inhabits water-filled treeholes, and Fusohericia lawrencei Baker and Crossley, a semi-aquatic member of the subfamily Hericiinae that inhabits the sap flux areas of trees. The present study describes the fine structure of the axillary organs of Hericia janehenleyi Fashing, a member of the subfamily Hericiinae that inhabits fermenting sap flux on oak trees (Quercus spp.). In addition, the sizes of axillary organs of species from differing habitats are compared to determine whether these two variables are correlated.
