A Newly Discovered Cockroach In Singapore Has Been Named After A Pokemon

A new species of Cockroach was found at a Forested Nature Reserve in Singapore and it has been named after the Pokemon Pheromosa.

The discovery of Nocticola Pheromosa was published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology on February 27th, 2023 (via The Straights Time) by Cristian Lucañas of the UPLB Museum of Natural History, Philippines, and Foo Maosheng of The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. The cockroach was labeled a new species after comparing its genitalia with its closest living relative that resides in Borneo.

Entomologist Foo Maosheng, who co-authored the discovery, said: “There are some similarities between Pheromosa and the delicate cockroach that we found, such as having a long antenna, wings that mimic a hood, and long slender legs. Both my collaborator and I are also Pokemon fans, so we thought why not name the cockroach after a Pokemon inspired by a cockroach.”

In the Pokemon games, Pheromosa is a bug and fighting type Pokemon that was introduced in the Generation 7 games Pokemon Sun and Moon. It is part of a special type of Pokemon called Ultra Beasts who came to the main Pokemon universe from an alternate dimension.

It is currently unknown what the main inspiration for Pheromosa the Pokemon is supposed to be. Many believe that is supposed to be a very pretty American Cockroach however other fans believe that it is based on a small crustacean called a Copepod as they both have whitish shells. I suppose we’ll never know for sure but the fact that an actual Cockroach shares its name certainly shows the similarities between the two. 

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