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Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae), the first recorded larval host plant
for Aristobia freneyi Schmitt, 1992 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Monochamini)
from Thailand
T.J. Hawkeswood* & B. Sommung#
*PO Box 842, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia (drtjhawkeswood@gmail.com)
#Sisaket, Thailand (buppha19741@gmail.com)
Hawkeswood, T.J. & Sommung, B. (2016). Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae), the first recorded larval host
plant for Aristobia freneyi Schmitt, 1992 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Monochamini) from Thailand. Calodema, 410:
1-3.
Abstract: The tropical tree, Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae) is recorded as the first larval host plant for the
tropical SE Asian cerambycid beetle, Aristobia freneyi Schmitt, 1992 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Observations were
undertaken in a royal park at Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.
Key words: Butea monosperma, Fabaceae, Aristobia freneyi, Cerambycidae, first recorded larval host, Thailand.
Introduction
The general biology and host plants of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) in Thailand are poorly known
apart from some agriculturally important species (e.g. Ek-Amnuay, 2010). An important recent
publication illustrating many Thailand beetles for the first time (albeit illustrating mostly museum
specimens) has been provided by Ek-Amnuay (2008). This useful guide enabled the identification
of the specimen of Aristobia freneyi Schmitt, which we observed and photographed in a public
royal park at Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Butea monosperma is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, widely distributed in SE Asia and
India (Sanjappa, 1987; Fageria & Rao, 2015). It attains a height of 5-20 metres, with a trunk
diameter of up to about 45 cm. The trunk is usually crooked and tortuous, with rough greyish-
brown, fibrous bark (commonly exhibiting a reddish exudate) and the branchlets are densely
pubescent (Sanjappa, 1987). The leaves are trifoliate with broad green leaflets (Sanjappa, 1987;
Fageria & Rao, 2015). These leaflets are more or less leathery, obliquely ovate to rhomboid-obovate
in shape, measuring 12-27 cm x 10-26 cm, they are obtuse, rounded or emarginate at the apex, and
rounded to cuneate at the base (Sanjappa, 1987; Fageria & Rao, 2015). Four trees of this species
were located growing in one part of the royal garden where the beetle encounter took place (see Fig.
3).
Observations
During a visit to the Queen Sirikit Park & Gardens in Chiang Mai city, northern Thailand on 10 July
2016 (approx. 2.45 PM Thailand Time), the authors observed a freshly emerged mottled brown
cerambycid on the leaves of a non-flowering Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (Fabaceae) (Fig. 1)
growing with three others of the same species in a cluster in one area of the park (see Fig. 3). The
tree on which the beetle was found possessed numerous bore holes in the trunk. The borer holes
were concentrated below where the beetle was first observed. The other Butea trees growing nearly
(Fig. 3) also had extensive damage to the trunks and were in declining vigour but a search of these
revealed no more beetles of this species. All four trees measured 6-8 metres tall. Most biomass of
another Butea tree had been removed adjacent to this tree and the remaining stump showed
extensive tunnelling and exit holes by cerambycid beetles (Fig. 4), probably caused by larvae/adults
of A. freneyi (as the bore hole diameter appeared to fit well with the body diameter of A. freneyi)
Calodema, 410: 1-3 (2016) Hawkeswood & Sommung- Aristobia freneyi new larval host record!
(Calodema - an International Journal of Biology and Other Sciences) Page 1
and other smaller cerambycids and termites. The wet season was in full swing at the time of
observations and rain may have influenced the emergence of the insect. The beetle was captured
and photographed in the trunk of the tree for improved contrast and to confirm its identification at a
later date (Fig. 2).
Figs. 1-2. 1. Aristobia freneyi adult on leaves of Butea monosperma (Fabaceae) at Chiang Mai, Thailand. 2. Adult of A.
freneyi photographed on the bark/trunk of the host tree, B. monosperma. Note nearby exit hole. (Photos: T.J.
Hawkeswood & B. Sommung).
Figs. 3-4. 3. The cluster of Butea monosperma trees within the Queen Sirikit Park and Garden. 4. Stump of a dead B.
monosperma tree showing extensive damage by cerambycid beetles, most likely caused by other A. freneyi, other
cerambycids and termites. (Photo T.J. Hawkeswood & B. Sommung).
Discussion
Aristobia freneyi is a recently discovered species which was described from the holotype collected
in about 1984 from Chiang Mai, Thailand (Schmitt, 1992). However, it may be more widely
distributed in Thailand since Ek-Amnuay (2008) recorded it from Ranong in southern Thailand.
Evidently its distribution in Asia may prove to be extensive since Jiroux et al. (2014) has recently
Calodema, 410: 1-3 (2016) Hawkeswood & Sommung- Aristobia freneyi new larval host record!
(Calodema - an International Journal of Biology and Other Sciences) Page 2
recorded the species from Cambodia, Laos, China (Yunnan) as well as Thailand. None of these
authors provided any biological details on the species.
As far as we are aware this is the first larval host plant recorded for A. freneyi and the first
published biological notes on this cerambycid beetle.
These preliminary notes, recording a larval host plant for, and providing some aspects of the
biology of A. freneyi, will no doubt provide a stating point for future work on this and related
species. Our opportunistic observations show that there is much to learn about cerambycid beetles
particularly in Thailand, where the potential for much discovery awaits the dedicated coleopterist.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Dr K.L. Dunn (Melbourne, Victoria) for his helpful comments and editorial suggestions on this paper.
References
Ek-Amnuay, P. (2008). Beetles of Thailand. Siam Zoo and Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1-496.
Ek-Amnuay, P. (2010). Plant Diseases and Insect Pests of Economic Importance. Siam Zoo and Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand,
1-589.
Fageria, D. & Rao, D. (2015). A review on Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze (sic): A great therapeutic valuable leguminous plant.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 5(6): 1-7.
Sanjappa, M. (1987). Revision of the genera Butea Roxb. ex Willd. and Meizotropis Voigt. (Fabaceae). Bulletin of the Botanical
Survey of India, 29: 199-225.
Schmitt, O. (1992). Une nouvelle espèce d'Aristobia (Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Agniini). Bulletin de la Societe Sciences Nat, 75-76:
28.
Jiroux, E., Garreau, P., Bentanachs, J. & Prevost, P. (2014). Première contribution à l'étude des Monochamini d'Asie du Sud-Est
(Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae). Les Cahiers Magellanes, (NS), 14: 67-118, 14 figs.
Date of publication: 20 July 2016
Copyright: T.J. Hawkeswood & B. Sommung
Editor: Dr T.J. Hawkeswood (drtjhawkeswood@gmail.com)
PO Box 842, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, 2753
(Published as hard paper copy edition as well as electronic pdf)
Calodema, 410: 1-3 (2016) Hawkeswood & Sommung- Aristobia freneyi new larval host record!
(Calodema - an International Journal of Biology and Other Sciences) Page 3
