A new cockroach species has been discovered and named after the Pokemon Pheromosa. It’s not news toPokemonfans that manyPokemonhave designs inspired by creatures that exist in real life. This time, however, a real-life creature has been named after a Pokemon.
Pheromosa is Bug/Fighting-type originally introduced in Generation 7. Pheromosa is one of the Ultra Beasts, agroup of extradimensional Pokemonfeatured inPokemon Sun and Moon. According toSun and Moonlore, the appearance of Ultra Beasts is an extremely rare event. These Pokemon have an alien appearance and code, with Pheromosa being identified by the code UB-02 Beauty. InPokemongames, the only appearance of Pheromosa is inSun and Moon, while the Pokemon also has a few appearances in the manga. In the anime, fans saw the Bug/Fighting-type debut inPokemon the Series: Sun & Moon.
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Pheromosa is back in the news thanks to a new species of cockroach found in Singapore that was named after Pokemon. With the full name Nocticola Pheromosa, the discovery was co-authored by etymologist Foo Maosheng and was published on February 27 in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. Maosheng had the help of etymologist Mr. Cristian C. Lucanas to gather evidence that the cockroach species had never been documented before, and then reveal the discovery to the world. The reason for choosing the name is because both etymologists likePokemon, proving thatPokemonfans are everywhere.
According to Maosheng there are similarities between the species of cockroach he found and Pheromosa, such as the long antennae, wings that mimic a hood, and the long, slender legs. This is not the first time that acreature has been named after Pokemon, but some other details make the story even more amusing. Foo Maosheng works as a scientific officer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. His love of all insects and Pokemon has earned him the nickname “bug catcher” among his students at NUS and other etymologists.
Maosheng and Lucanas made a well-thought-out correlation between the new species of cockroach and a Pokemon whose appearance is based on a cockroach - though an anthropomorphic female one. The discovery of Nocticola Pheromosa proves that there are morePokemon in real lifethan fans might imagine. Going further, Maosheng and Lucanas also prove thatPokemonscientists exist outside of games and anime as well.
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