Identidad taxonómica

Scientific name
Theobroma cacao L.
Canonical name: The scientific name without its authorship or date, for example Zea mays instead of Zea mays L.
Theobroma cacao
Authorship: The author or authors credited with publishing the scientific name. It is written after the name, sometimes with the year, for example L. (Linnaeus) in Zea mays L. An author in parentheses first published the name in another genus or rank.
L.
Common names
Cacao, Chocolate Tree, Cocoa, cacao tree, cocoa tree
Names in other languages (44)Bikinka, Buah Coklat, Cacao de monte, Cacao, Cacaoyer, Cacaoboom, Cacaoyer, Cacau-verdadeiro, Cacavo, Chocolate, Kakao, Kakaobaum, Kakaobuum, Kakaopflanze, Kakaoträd, Kakau, Kookoo, Kope moenka, Kopemowenka, Puka cacao, Runa cacao, Sacha cacao, Soló, Sukelatei, Tepenka, Tepenka wenana, Tsiru’, Tsirú, Tsi’e, ahanayáanin, akau, cacaoeiro, cacaotero, cacau, cacau-da-mata, cacaueiro, cajecua, calabacillo, echter Kakaobaum, forastero, harilik kakaopuu, kaakaopuu, kakaovník obyčajný, kakaovník pravý, kakaowiec właściwy
Kingdom: One of the broadest ranks of biological classification. It groups organisms that share very basic features, for example plants (Plantae), animals (Animalia) or fungi (Fungi).
Plantae
Phylum: Rank below kingdom that groups organisms with a shared general body plan, for example chordates (Chordata), arthropods (Arthropoda) or vascular plants (Tracheophyta). In botany the same rank is also called division.
Tracheophyta
Class: Rank below phylum, for example mammals (Mammalia), birds (Aves), insects (Insecta) or monocot plants such as grasses and orchids (Liliopsida).
Magnoliopsida
Order: Rank below class that groups related families, for example grasses and their relatives (Poales) or bats (Chiroptera).
Malvales
Family: Rank below order that groups related genera. Family names usually end in -aceae in botany (for example Poaceae, the grass family) and in -idae in zoology (for example Felidae, the cat family).
Malvaceae
Genus: Rank that groups closely related species. Its name is the first word of a species' scientific name and starts with a capital letter, for example Zea in Zea mays.
Theobroma
Specific epithet: The second word of a species' scientific name. On its own it does not name the species: it always goes with the genus, for example mays in Zea mays.
cacao
Taxonomic rank: The level a name occupies in the hierarchy of biological classification, such as kingdom, family, genus, species or subspecies.
species
Reference species
Theobroma cacao
Taxonomic status: Whether the taxonomic catalogue the record comes from currently accepts this name for the organism, or treats it as a synonym of another accepted name or as doubtful.
accepted name

Photos and conservation status

IUCN Red List category: The extinction-risk category that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assigns to a species on its Red List. EX Extinct: there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. EW Extinct in the wild: it survives only in cultivation, in captivity or as a population far outside its past range. CR Critically endangered, EN Endangered and VU Vulnerable: the three threatened categories, from an extremely high to a high risk of extinction in the wild. NT Near threatened: close to qualifying as threatened. LC Least concern: evaluated and not threatened. DD Data deficient: there is not enough information to assess its risk. NE Not evaluated: not yet assessed against the criteria. It describes the risk of the species worldwide, not its situation in a project's area.
Data deficient (DD)
Source: IUCN Red List via GBIF, queried on 2026-10-09 06:20.
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: Carlos Domínguez-Rodríguez · CC BY 4.0 · View original image · Original observation
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: Gabriel Cardoso Fialho · CC0 1.0 · View original image · Original observation
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: Derek Duplessis · CC BY 4.0 · View original image · Original observation
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: Stephen Lewis · CC0 1.0 · View original image · Original observation
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0 · View original image · Original observation
Photo of Theobroma cacao L.
Photo: amantedarmanin · CC BY 4.0 · View original image · Original observation

Research-grade iNaturalist observations via GBIF, CC0 or CC BY licences only, queried on 2026-10-09 06:20.

Interacciones documentadas

GloBI says it is documented somewhere in the world. Biolitica answers whether it could happen here.

A documented interaction means it was recorded somewhere in the world. It does not mean it occurs here.

Types shown: 12 of 14 is a host of × is eaten by × has as a parasite × interacts with × is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of × co-occurs ecologically with × has as a host × is adjacent to × is visited by × is pollinated by × has its flowers visited by × has as a pathogen × 2 more types with data for this species

Blocks that do not sit under a navigation concept heading keep the source's own term: no navigation concept has been assigned to them yet.

is a host of 651 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it. In the source ontology symbiosis covers mutualism, commensalism and parasitism alike, so this block holds attackers and allies side by side.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Lasiodiplodia theobromae Botryosphaeriaceae is a host of 85 not compared
Phytophthora palmivora Peronosporaceae is a host of 49 no location
Fusarium Nectriaceae is a host of 40 not compared Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Lasiodiplodia is a host of 37 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Showing 4 of 651, by number of studies See more of this type

is eaten by 255 organisms

This term does declare that the organism harms this species.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Croton caterpillar Achaea janata Erebidae is eaten by 4 no location
Blue-striped Nettle Grub Parasa lepida Limacodidae is eaten by 4 no location
stinking grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus is eaten by 4 no location
Darna trima Limacodidae is eaten by 3 no location
Showing 4 of 255, by number of studies See more of this type

has as a parasite 73 organisms

This term does declare that the organism harms this species.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Trichogrammatoidea fumata Trichogrammatidae has as a parasite 8 no location
Codling-moth Egg Parasite Trichogrammatoidea lutea Trichogrammatidae has as a parasite 4 no location
Ooencyrtus Encyrtidae has as a parasite 4 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Rhynchoticida ovivora Torymidae has as a parasite 3 no location
Showing 4 of 73, by number of studies See more of this type

interacts with 42 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Oplitis apicalis interacts with 3 not compared
Pterulicium echo Pterulaceae interacts with 2 not compared
Aspergillus delacroixii interacts with 2 no location
Spodoptera cosmioides Noctuidae interacts with 2 not compared
Showing 4 of 42, by number of studies See more of this type

is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of 35 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Paraglomus occultum Paraglomeraceae is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of 2 not compared
Dentiscutata heterogama Gigasporaceae is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of 2 not compared
Acaulospora spinosa Acaulosporaceae is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of 1 not compared
Acaulospora longula Acaulosporaceae is an arbuscular mycorrhizal host of 1 not compared
Showing 4 of 35, by number of studies See more of this type

co-occurs ecologically with 12 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Rhizophagus intraradices Glomeraceae co-occurs ecologically with 1 not compared
Dentiscutata heterogama Gigasporaceae co-occurs ecologically with 1 not compared
Gigaspora decipiens Gigasporaceae co-occurs ecologically with 1 not compared
Paraglomus occultum Paraglomeraceae co-occurs ecologically with 1 not compared
Showing 4 of 12, by number of studies See more of this type

has as a host 7 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it. In the source ontology symbiosis covers mutualism, commensalism and parasitism alike, so this block holds attackers and allies side by side.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Frosty Pod Rot Moniliophthora roreri Marasmiaceae has as a host 1 no location
Lasiodiplodia theobromae Botryosphaeriaceae has as a host 1 no location
Anthracnose Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Glomerellaceae has as a host 1 no location
Phytophthora Peronosporaceae has as a host 1 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Showing 4 of 7, by number of studies See more of this type

is adjacent to 4 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Lasiodiplodia theobromae Botryosphaeriaceae is adjacent to 2 not compared
Spiropes dorycarpus is adjacent to 1 no location
Green Leaf Spots Strigula smaragdula Strigulaceae is adjacent to 1 no location
Botryosphaeria plicatula Botryosphaeriaceae is adjacent to 1 no location
Showing 4 of 4, by number of studies

is visited by 3 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Underwood's Long-tongued Bat Hylonycteris underwoodi Phyllostomidae is visited by 2 no location
Banana Spider Argiope appensa Araneidae is visited by 1 not compared
Brown Anole Anolis sagrei Dactyloidae is visited by 1 not compared
Showing 3 of 3, by number of studies

Pollination

is pollinated by 2 organisms

This term declares that the organism benefits this species. «Visits the flowers of» is a different term and a different block: a visitor is not a pollinator, and merging the two is the measured defect that turned ~88 shared «pollinators» into birds and primates.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Ants Formicidae Formicidae is pollinated by 1 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at family level.
Thrips Thripidae is pollinated by 1 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Showing 2 of 2, by number of studies

Flower visit

has its flowers visited by 2 organisms

The authority declares no effect on this species for this term: neither that it harms it nor that it benefits it. Visiting a flower is not pollinating it. «Pollinates» is a different term and a different block, and merging the two is the measured defect that turned ~88 shared «pollinators» into birds and primates.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Ants Formicidae Formicidae has its flowers visited by Refuted 1 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at family level.
Thrips has its flowers visited by Refuted 1 no location Not a modelling unit: the source publishes it at genus level.
Showing 2 of 2, by number of studies

has as a pathogen 1 organism

This term does declare that the organism harms this species. It is a narrow block, and it cannot be the only one that is read: the most frequent term in the catalogue is the one above, which declares no harm, so much of what a reader would call a pest arrives there instead.

Organism Reads as Studies Where it was documented Actions
Moniliophthora perniciosa Marasmiaceae has as a pathogen 1 no location
Showing 1 of 1, by number of studies

Acompañantes documentados

This agronomic reading comes from a source reserved for internal use, so it is not shown here.

Documented uses and recommendations

Uses and recommendations that a source documents for this species beside a crop, each in its own context. They are the source's statements, not traits of the species and not Biolítica's recommendations, and none of them is a relation between two species.

Among the sources you can read, none documents a use or recommendation of this species beside a crop.