First Report of Apate monachus (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) in Big-leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) Plantations in India

Abstract

Swietenia macrophylla King (big-leaf mahogany) is one of the fast-growing, highly priced tropical timbers in the world. As dwindling of its population and ban on felling in its native countries, big-leaf mahogany is being widely cultivated in South East countries including India to meet growing international market demand. So far, it is reported that shoot borer is only serious pest in mahogany species. First time, the sever damage caused by heart-wood borer was found in the young big-leaf mahogany plantation in Anaikatty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (India) in month of April, 2016. Hence, the present was undertaken to identify pest and its damage on wood. From the study it was identified with help of specimen that the damaging adult beetle was Apate monachus (Family: Bostrychidae), commonly known as the shot-hole-borer. The damage was characterized by a hole in the trunk, from where the shot-hole-borer enters constructing tunnels, and producing lot of saw dust while feeding the wood. This is the first record of A. monachus attacking mahogany trees in India