New Cockroach Species Found in Bukit Timah; Named After Bug-Type Pokemon

Brace yourselves, as you may need to stock up on more pesticides and replace your worn-out swatters.

A new creepy crawly is here in town—and no, we don’t like them.

For Pokemon fanatics, you may think that with the name Nocticola pheromosa, the Pheromosa pokemon has somehow come to life. While this is somewhat true, this is just the name of a newly found species of…cockroach.

Nocticola pheromosa Sightings

Unsurprisingly, this cockroach species was first seen at the same place the Bukit Timah Monkey Man was allegedly sighted.

Though its origins are unknown, Mr Foo Maosheng, an entomologist, first came across this mysterious species during an insect survey in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve conducted between 2016 and 2017.

According to Mr Foo, “there were no formal records of the cockroach in Singapore.” Its DNA was not identical to any of the recorded species, which then brought about the notion that this particular cockroach had been undiscovered before this.

Mr Cristian C. Lucanas, an entomologist from the UPLB Museum of Natural History in the Philippines, stumbled upon photos of the new species on The Biodiversity of Singapore website.

He lent a helping hand to Mr Foo, taking on the role of the lead author of this study.

Mr Lucanas decided to publish the findings after dissecting the cockroach after finding out that there were no previous traces of it.

The species was apparently discovered by comparing the male genitalia of specimens of its closest relative from Borneo and unveiled in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology on 27 February.

So, Why the Name?

This marks the first time a cockroach from the Nocticola (‘fond of the night’ in Latin) genus has been found in Singapore.

Mr Foo and Mr Lucanas are both Pokemon fans, hence the second part of the name.

Mr Foo mentioned some actual similarities between Pheromosa and the newly found cockroach in terms of having a “long antenna, wings that mimic a hood and long slender legs.”

He referred to The Biodiversity of Singapore website as our “local Pokedex.” Who would’ve thought that the discovery of something so horrifying to us could be so endearing?

Other Pokemon Characters “Coming to Life”

In 2021, just in time for Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, three newly discovered Australian beetle species were named after Legendary characters Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos.

Unlike Pheromosa, the three beetle species do not possess any resemblance with the characters besides their wings, but they were, however, similar in terms of their rarity.

If more and more species are named after Pokemon, we could possibly have a real-life Pokemon GO. But we certainly do not want to catch or even see more cockroaches.