The intoxicating Asian plant whose name sounds like an insect is betel.

“Betel” is a climbing pepper plant widely grown in South and Southeast Asia, and its leaves are chewed with areca nut as a mild stimulant that can have intoxicating effects. The name “betel” sounds like “beetle,” which is the insect referenced by the clue.

So the crossword-style answer to “intoxicating asian plant whose name sounds like an insect” is: BETEL.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.