Fungal Pathogens of Cacao in Puerto Rico.

Cacao production is a rapidly expanding industry in Puerto Rico, with new farmers planting ~20,000 trees in the past few years. To determine the etiology and extent of diseases affecting cacao in Puerto Rico, a survey was performed at eight sites around the island. Pod rot and/or branch dieback were observed at all sites.

sp. nov.: A New Species Causing Black Pod Disease on Cacao in Brazil.

Black pod disease, caused by species, is among the main limiting factors of cacao ( L.) production. High incidence levels of black pod disease have been reported in Brazil, being induced by , , , and .

Rapid Molecular Identification of Scolytinae (: ).

Routine identification of bark and ambrosia beetles is done using morphology. For people lacking the necessary taxonomic knowledge, proper identification of a novel specimen can be challenging and time consuming. This study compares the usefulness of four genetic markers (28S, EF-1a, ITS2, and COI) and five primer pairs (D2F1/D3R2, eflafor1/eflarev1, ets149/efa754, ITS2F/ITS2R, and LCO1490/HCO2198) to identify Scolytinae beetles, and outlines a molecular identification strategy, with results possible in two days.