Theobroma cacao priests lancing their ear lobes (autosacrifice) and covering the cacao with blood as a suitable sacrifice to the gods. The cacao beverage as ritual was used only by men, as it was believed to be toxic for women and children. The first European knowledge about chocolate came in the form of a beverage which was first introduced to the Spanish at their meeting with Moctezuma in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1519. Cortés and others noted the vast quantities of this beverage the Aztec emperor consumed, and how it was carefully whipped by his attendants beforehand. Examples of cacao
Forcipomyia squamipennis Forcipomyia squamipennis Forcipomyia squamipennis is a biting midge species in the genus "Forcipomyia". It is an important pollinator of cacao trees ("Theobroma cacao") in Ghana, and other related midges pollinate the tree in other parts of the tropics. "Forcipomyia squamipennis" is an important pollinator of the cacao tree "Theobroma cacao" in Ghana, not because it pollinates more effectively than other insects but because it is so numerous in cacao plantations. The population is greatest in the rainy season. Adult midges spend the day in shady spots such as between the buttress roots of large trees, in crevices in logs, in