Pokemon Cockroach: New Species of Cockroach Found in Singapore Added to Real-Life Pokedex

A delicate new species that looks like a Pokemon cockroach was discovered in Singapore and was added to a real-life Pokedex.

In Singapore's forested nature reserve, a new species of cockroach has been discovered. The species, which bears the name Pheromosa after a Pokemon that resembles a cockroach, was discovered by comparing variations in the male genitalia of samples with those of its closest relative from Borneo, among other checks.

Co-author of the study and entomologist Foo Maosheng noted a few similarities between the Pokemon Pheromosa and the delicate cockroach they discovered, including long antennae, wings that resemble hoods, and long, slender legs.

Pokemon Cockroach

Foo added that he and his collaborator, who are both fans of Pokemon, had the idea to name the cockroach after a particular Pokemon.

The cockroach genus Nocticola, which in Latin means "fond of the night," has never been found in this region until the discovery of Nocticola pheromosa, which was recently published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology.

When a handful of male specimens were found between 2016 and 2017 in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in an insect survey, the species of the cockroach was unknown.

Foo claims that no official records of the cockroach existed in Singapore. It does support the idea that this species had never been formally documented since its DNA did not correspond to any species listed online.

Cristian Lucanas, the lead author of the study and a UPLB Museum of Natural History entomologist in the Philippines, found images of the species on The Biodiversity of Singapore's website and contacted Foo for assistance.

After dissecting the cockroach, Lucanas realized that it had never been scientifically studied before and made the decision to publish the results.

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Real-Life Pokedex

The new species joins 22 others in its genus, which has also been discovered in Australia, Southeast Asia, mainland Asia, tropical Africa, and India.

Nocticola pheromosa is more delicate than the hardy American cockroaches that most people typically associate cockroaches with because they typically live in well-protected ecosystems, according to Foo. However, little is known about the Singaporean species, including their origins.

According to Must Share News, for the time being, researchers have only noted the similarities between the new species and the Nocticola adebratti Roth species that already exist.They appear to be of comparable sizes and wing shapes, but their male genital structures and wing vein arrangements differ.

Foo's students at NUS, together with other entomologists, have given him the nickname "bug catcher" due to his love of all insects and Pokemon.He compared himself to one of those Pokemon trainers who go to different locations to learn more about the local insects.

The Biodiversity of Singapore website, which he compared to a neighborhood Pokedex, and the museum for research and education both benefit from this, he continued.

The Pheromosa cockroach joins several other animals with Pokemon names.Three Australian beetles were given the names Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in 2021 to honor rare bird Pokemon, The Strait Times reports.