Theobroma cacao Theobroma cacao Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of the Americas. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make cocoa mass, cocoa powder, confectionery, ganache and chocolate. Leaves are alternate, entire, unlobed, long and broad. The flowers are produced in clusters directly on the trunk and older branches; this is known as cauliflory. The flowers are small, diameter, with pink calyx. The floral formula is ✶ K5 C5 A(5°+5²) (5). While many of the world's flowers are pollinated
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