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A new cockroach just dropped, and the pair of entomologists that discovered it have named it after a bug-type Pokemon.
Pokemon, obviously, are not real. That’s probably a good thing considering the animal rights issues that would be at play, but it would be nice to have a pet Grubbin, they’re just such a funny lil critter. While Pokemon might not be real, that doesn’t mean there aren’t living creatures with Pokemon names, as just recently a newly documented cockroach was named after Pheromosa, a bug-fighting type Pokemon (yes I know it’s technically an Ultra Beast, go away).
As reported by The Straits Times, the species, called Nocticola pheromosa, was discovered in a forested nature reserve in Singapore. While it was first observed in 2016, it wasn’t until now, after dissecting specimens and comparing them to other species of cockroach, that Nocticola pheromosa was labelled its own species.
“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,” co-author of the finding Foo Maosheng said. “Both my collaborator and I are Pokemon fans, so we thought, why not name it after a Pokemon inspired by a cockroach.” You can read about the discovery in full in The Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, if you’re into the nitty gritty details of it all.
This isn’t the first time a living creature has been named after a Pokemon, either. While extinct, the Bulbasaurus technically is named for its large (i.e., bulbus) nose, though researchers have noted that the similarity in name to a certain pocket monster might not be a coincidence.
The Pokemon Company also recently revealed that the most recent pair of games, Scarlet and Violet, would be receiving a two-part expansion, with the first part due out this coming autumn.