New evidence supporting the role of biting midges as pollinators of cacao
In a new paper lead by Eliza Van de Sande we provide new evidence that the principal pollinators of cacao are biting midges of the order Ceratopogonidae. Work by Eliza and colleague Sara Vroman in Malaysia and South America illustrate that particularly members of the genus Forcipomyia exhibit pollinating behavior and are regularly caught coverd in pollen. The study re-affirms insights from the 70’s and 80’s that over the years have been eroded as more and more studies have documented other insects visiting cocoa flowers… fueling the believe that the crop has a wider range of pollinators. Upon close inspection most of these visitors in all likelihood do not seem to pollinate and likely play a negligible role. In the paper we try to generate new testable hypotheses and a decision tree that may help to distinguish likely from unlikely pollinators. The question is far from resolved and more detailed observations are needed to distinguish the casual flower visitor from the useful visitor!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S143917912600037X?via%3Dihub
The work was covered by The Economist in a recent issue.
