DNA Barcoding of Adiantum (Pteridaceae: Vittarioideae) in Puerto Rico

The Solanaceae family is one of the largest and well-distributed plant families in the world. It contains species of agricultural and economical importance, such as Solanum tuberosum, Solanum melongena, Solanum lycopersicum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Capsicum annuum. In Puerto Rico, there are ≈46 species of Solanaceae of which six are endemic: Brunfelsia densifolia, Brunfelsia lactea, Brunfelsia portoricensis, Goetzea elegans, Solanum ensifolium, and Solanum woodburyi. Our objective was to use DNA barcoding to identify the Solanaceae species in Puerto Rico, including the endemics, and to assess the species relationships between them. To accomplish our objective, two chloroplast regions (psbA-trnH and matK) and a nuclear region [internal transcribed spacer (ITS)] were assessed. Pairwise distance and phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that DNA barcoding can be used to discriminate at the species level among these taxa in Puerto Rico. For all three markers, the genus that showed the highest pairwise distance between represented species was Solanum, whereas the genus that displayed the least was Capsicum. Phylogenetic trees of single and concatenated regions were generated from sequences obtained in this study and from data downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. Our results show that this technique can be used to identify species with one, two, or three combinations of DNA barcode markers depending on the taxon. In addition, this is the first study to include the endemic species S. woodburyi in a molecular phylogenetic analysis, and it was found to have a close relationship with S. ensifolium, also endemic to Puerto Rico, and to Solanum bahamense from the Bahamas and Greater Antilles. Therefore, we suggest that S. woodburyi might be part of the Bahamense clade.

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Molecular DNA barcoding and biochemical analysis of seaweeds from Puerto Rico

10.46678/pb.20.1053016 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniela Rivera Colon

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Dna Barcoding ◽

Biochemical Analysis

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Record of the rare Caribbean mud eel, Pythonichthys sanguineus (Heterenchelyidae, Anguilliformes), in the region of the Amazon Reef

Acta Amazonica ◽

10.1590/1809-4392201802883 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 131-138

Author(s):

Matheus Marcos ROTUNDO ◽

Leonardo MACHADO ◽

Claudio OLIVEIRA ◽

Wagner César Rosa dos SANTOS ◽

Alexandre Pires MARCENIUK

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Dna Barcoding ◽

Lateral Line ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Pectoral Fin ◽

Southern Limit ◽

Fishery Resource ◽

Caribbean Fauna

ABSTRACT As they spend most of their time buried in the substrate and are not a fishery resource, heterenchelyids are seldom seen. These eels are characterized by their greatly reduced eyes, which are covered by semi-transparent skin, the absence of a pectoral fin or lateral line, and no pores on the head or body. Pythonichthys sanguineus is a particularly poorly-known species, with only eight scientific records from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. The present study is based on six adult specimens of P. sanguineus captured by vessels of the shrimp trawling fleet along the northern Brazilian coast, in the vicinity of the Amazon Reef. We provide meristic, morphometric and DNA barcoding data. These findings provide insights into the distribution of the species off the northern Brazilian coast and contribute to the discussion about the southern limit of the Greater Caribbean fauna.

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A Beetle in a Haystack: Are There Alternate Hosts of the Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei) in Puerto Rico?

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10020228 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 228 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Victor J. Vega ◽

Yobana A. Mariño ◽

Daymara Deynes ◽

Elsie B. Greco ◽

Donald E. Bright ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Puerto Rico ◽

Dna Barcoding ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Coi Gene ◽

Hypothenemus Hampei ◽

Coffee Berry ◽

Coffee Berry Borer ◽

Accurate Identification ◽

Alternate Hosts ◽

Preference Tests

Can the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei, or CBB) use host plants other than coffee for food and shelter? The use of fruits other than coffee has been reported. However, the validity of these reports depends on accurate identification of CBB, which is sometimes uncertain. In this study we sampled potential alternate hosts in coffee farms in Puerto Rico. Fruits with perforations were collected and examined for the presence of scolytid beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Scolytids were identified by morphology and DNA barcoding of the COI gene. Association between the presence of Inga vera and Guarea guidonia trees and infestation rate of CBB in coffee fruits was evaluated. Food preference tests were performed in the laboratory. A total of 3563 beetles were found and 587 were identified as Hypothenemus spp.; of these, 85 identifications were confirmed by DNA barcoding. Twenty-seven of the beetles identified were H. hampei, mostly in I. vera fruits in periods between coffee crops. Most scolytids identified were H. obscurus. In preference tests, some CBB initially penetrated G. guidonia fruits, but eventually chose coffee. There was no evidence of feeding or reproduction in fruits of G. guidonia or Cajanus cajan. The results show that in Puerto Rico it is rare to find CBB in fruits of alternate hosts. The scarcity of coffee fruits in the off-season might cause some CBBs to take refuge in other fruits, but they did not feed or reproduce in them in laboratory tests. Understanding the refugia of CBB in the off-season may be useful for designing effective management strategies.

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