Crackdown on insect souvenirs

PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Forestry Office has announced its intention to crack down on anyone selling, buying, hunting, collecting or “doing anything threatening whatsoever” to 15 species of endangered insects. The insects, four kinds of beetles and 11 kinds of butterflies, are already protected under the 1992 Preserved and Protected Wild Animals Act. Recently, dried remains of some of these insects were found being sold as souvenirs at the Chatuchak and Sukhumvit markets in Bangkok, the night bazaar in Chiang Mai, and night bazaars in Patong, Kata and Karon. The order to crack down on insect abusers came from the Royal Forest Department of Thailand in Bangkok. Srisawat Rianmora, chief of the Provincial Forestry Office, said, “We want to inform street vendors as well as Thai and foreign tourists in Phuket, that those violating the law will be punished.” The Act prescribes punishments of up to four years in jail or a fine of 40,000 baht, or both. Anyone wishing to report offences may contact the Forestry Department’s Office of Protection and Suppression in Bangkok, Tel: (02) 5793004/5266 or (02) 5614292/33, ext 324, or email wildlifePT@hotmail.com or webmaster@forest.go.th The four beetles are Cheirotonus parryi, Cladognathus giraffa, Mouhotia batesi, and Mormolyce phyllodes, while the 11 butterflies are Lyssa zampa, Papilio protenor, Meandrusa gyas, Papilio palinurus, Genus actias, Genus teinopalpus, Genus troides, Genus stichophthalma, Genus bhutanitis, Genus trogonoptera, and Genus ornithoptera.