Filipino-led research team discovers new cockroach species, names it after Pokémon character
A Filipino-led group of entomologists discovered a new species of cockroach in Singapore—and named it after a Pokemon character.
Entomologist Foo Maosheng shared their latest discovery in their study on natural history in a Facebook post on Monday, March 6. “It has taken some years but a new insect species (Nocticola pheromosa) has been described from Singapore, and it serves as the first record of this genus in Singapore,” he wrote.
The new discovery came from a recent study A new macropterous Nocticola Bolivar, 1892 (Blattodea: Nocticolidae) from Singapore, which was published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology on Feb. 27. It was written by the lead author Cristian C. Lucañas, an entomologist from the University of the Philippines Los Baños Museum of Natural History along with his co-author, Singaporean entomologist Foo Maosheng.
The team decided to name the new cockroach species after Pheromosa, a Pokemon character, due to their similar features. Pheromosa is a “dual-type bug/Fighting Pokemon” that was introduced in the seventh generation of the game series.
In an interview with Singaporean news outlet The Straits Times, Maosheng pointed out the similarities they found between Pheromosa and the delicate cockroach, such as "having a long antenna, wings that mimic a hood, and long slender legs.”
Lucañas and Maosheng’s interest in the game series was also a factor in their decision to name it after the Pokemon character. “Both my collaborator and I are Pokemon fans, so we thought, why not name it after a Pokemon inspired by a cockroach?” said Maosheng.
Nocticola pheromosa was found in Bukit Timah nature reserve in Singapore, and unlike the American cockroaches which are commonly present in households, Pheromosa is a delicate type of its kind and is usually living in protected areas.
According to the report, the new cockroach species was found in 2016 and 2017 by Maosheng during an insect survey, which led him to notice the absence of its record in the natural history of Singapore.
“There were no formal records of the cockroach in Singapore,” he said. “Since its DNA did not match any species recorded online, it does add to the suggestion that this species had not been formally documented.”
Lucañas, for his part, found the pictures of the species on the official website of The Biodiversity of Singapore, and it prompted him to contact Maosheng for help.
It's worth noting that since it's a fresh discovery, there are still limitations about the new species, including its origin.