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
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