Cockroach species named after Pokémon

A newly discovered species in Singapore gets an apt name

Researchers in Singapore have discovered a new species of cockroaches in a nature reserve and have named it after a Bug-type Pokémon – the Ultra Beast Pheromosa.

The Straits Times reports that entomologist Foo Maosheng, who co-authored the finding, drew some comparisons between the discovered species and the Gen 7 Pokémon: “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 Pokemon fans, so we thought, why not name it after a Pokemon inspired by a cockroach,” he concluded.

The species’ full name is Nocticola pheromosa and was discovered through some research that you may rather not want to hear about: by comparing differences between the male genitalia of specimens with its closest relative from Borneo. First found between 2016 and 2017, the insects puzzled entomologists as they couldn’t find a DNA match for them in any of their databases.

Collaborating with Cristian C. Lucanas from the Philippines, who coincidentally found out about this mystery through a Singaporean website, Foo Maosheng finally solved the case and was able to confirm the discovery of a hitherto unknown species.

While cockroaches are often associated with being near unkillable and being able to survive in any environment, this is not universal for all of them. Nocticola pheromosa, for example, is a lot more delicate than American cockroaches, which draws another parallel to its namesake.

Foo says of himself that he’s “like one of those Bug-type trainers as I go to different places to find out more about what insects we have.”

“This contributes to the museum for research and education and The Biodiversity of Singapore website, which is kind of like our local Pokédex,” he stated. Accordingly, he’s known as the “bug catcher” among his students and colleagues.

Nocticola pheromosa joins a variety of other insects that were named after Pokémon with Charizard, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos acting as inspirations for names. There are also at least two prehistoric species that were specifically named after Pokémon, one being Aerodactylus scolopaciceps, which lived about 150 million years ago, and the other being Bulbasaurus phylloxyron, which roamed the planet about 25 million years ago.