Chocolate lowland climate in the narrow band of latitudes where cacao is grown (20 degrees north and south of the equator), the commercial company Mars, Incorporated and the University of California, Berkeley are conducting genomic research in 2017–18 to improve the survivability of cacao plants in hot climates. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree ("Theobroma cacao"), a small, 4–8 m tall (15–26 ft tall) evergreen tree native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. Recent genetic studies suggest the most common genotype of the plant originated in the Amazon basin and
Midge greatly from species to species, though within any particular family, midges commonly have similar ecological roles. One type of midge "ceratopogonid midges" (a type of fly in the family Dipteran) is a major pollinator of "Theobroma cacao" (cocoa tree) because of its unique morphological and behavioral characteristics. Having natural pollinators has beneficial effects in both agricultural and biological production because it increases "Theobroma cacao" crop yield and also density of predators of the midges (still beneficial to all parties). Examples of families that include species of midges include: The Ceratopogonidae (biting midges) include serious blood-sucking pests, feeding both on humans