Cockroach species discovered in Singapore looks like a Pokemon — and gets fitting name

A new species of cockroach was recently discovered and named after a Pokemon character with which it shares a striking resemblance.

In the spirit of the slogan “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” researchers set out to capture a variety of insects at a survey of a nature reserve in Singapore, according to a study provided to McClatchy News and published on Feb. 27 in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology.

In order to catch the critters, researchers employed a low-tech version of a Pokeball: a mesh net.

In doing so, they captured multiple specimens of a newfound roach species, which were then preserved in ethyl alcohol and studied in depth, researchers said.

After close examination, researchers decided to name the species Nocticola pheromosa, after the Pokemon character Ultra Beast Pheromosa.

“Pheromosa is a cockroach-like Pokemon, where its design and color may have been inspired by the American cockroach that has molted,” researchers wrote in the study.

Foo Maosheng, an entomologist and co-author of the study, told the Straits Times, “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,” Maosheng added, according to the outlet.

The creature, typically thought of as a pest, is the first of its genus to be found in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, researchers said.

There are 4,500 known cockroach species throughout the world, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

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