Unfortunately, a new species of cockroach has been discovered in Singapore, but at least two Pokémon fan entomologists named it after Pheromosa, a Generation VII Pokémon that also resembles cockroaches.
Since her debut in the franchise, Pheromosa has appeared in a variety of entertainment media, including Pokémon anime, manga and video games. However, thanks to the discovery of this new species of cockroach, the character now has a place in the world of science.
The entomologists, one from Singapore and one from the Philippines, published their discovery in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology on February 27.
Entomologists compared the male genitalia of the new cockroach specimens with those of their “closest relative” in Borneo to discover the new species. Because the new cockroach has many similarities to the Pokémon creature, scientists named it Nocticola pheromosa.
One of the authors of the study, Foo Maosheng, explained that the new cockroach species has similar characteristics to Pheromosa, such as long antennae, hood-like wings and long, slender legs. Since he and his colleague are Pokémon fans, they decided to name it after the cockroach-inspired character.
The earliest reports of the species are believed to date back to 2016 and 2017, when mystery male specimens were collected during an insect survey in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
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