MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF Akanthomyces lecanii (HYPOCREALES: CORDYCIPITACEAE): HYPERPARASITE OF Hemileia vastatrix (PUCCINIALES: PUCCINIACEAE)

Sori of coffee rust hyperparasitized by fungus were collected from organic coffee plantations in the Comarca Ngäbe Bugle Region in Panama, which once identified corresponded to Akanthomycescf lecanii. Thirteen isolates samples from the localities of Hato Raton (8° 31'55,47"; 81° 48'45,64"; 1243 masl) and Cerro Tula (8° 24'18,17"; 81° 47'5,51”; 546 masl) were morphologically characterized through the measurements of fungal structures, in vitro growth rate and morphology of the colonies. It was observed white color colonies on leaf obverse and yellow on leaf reverse; elliptic-cylindric conidia, which presented a thin and flocous mycelium with regular and whitish edges. The number of conidia.mL-1averaged 3,58 × 1012; the in vitro growth rate averaged 41,72 ± 0,4 mm in diameter at 10 days with a daily growth rate of 2,11 ± 0,02 mm. This study represents, to best of our knowledge, the first report of Akanthomyces isolates acting as hyperparasite of sori of coffee rust in two locations of CNB.