Theobroma cacao by bees (Hymenoptera) or butterflies/moths (Lepidoptera), cacao flowers are pollinated by tiny flies, "Forcipomyia" midges in the subfamily Forcipomyiinae. Having the natural pollinator "Forcipomyia" midges for "Theobroma cacao" was shown to have more fruit production than using artificial pollinators. The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, long and wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp. The seeds are the main ingredient of chocolate, while the pulp is used in some countries to prepare refreshing juice, smoothies, jelly, and nata. Usually discarded
Cacao necrosis virus translucent veinal necrosis of leaves, necrotic or chlorotic spots of leaves, defoliation, and dieback of shoots that rarely leads to seedling death if infected by the Ghanaian isolate. A following recovery phase of live plants shows limited leaf symptoms. The virus has been transmitted to numerous diagnostically susceptible host species including "Beta vulgaris", "Chenopodium amaranticolor", "Chenopodium quinoa", "Cucumis sativus", "Glycine max", "Gomphrena globosa", "Nicotiana clevelandii", "Nicotiana glutinosa", "Nicotiana tabacum", "Petunia × hybrida", "Phaseolus vulgaris", "Tetragonia tetragonioides", "Theobroma cacao", and "Vigna unguiculata", but these plants are not infected in nature. The strain used to infect these species was the Ghanian isolate.