Theobroma cacao or five years old. A mature tree may have 6,000 flowers in a year, yet only about 20 pods. About 1,200 seeds (40 pods) are required to produce 1 kg (2.2 lb) of cocoa paste. Historically, chocolate makers have recognized three main cultivar groups of cacao beans used to make cocoa and chocolate: Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario. The most prized, rare, and expensive is the Criollo group, the cocoa bean used by the Maya. Only 10% of chocolate is made from Criollo, which is arguably less bitter and more aromatic than any other bean. In November 2000, the cacao beans
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