The Nocticola Phermosa alongside its Pokémon namesake, Phermosa. – picture credits Pokédex/NUS
PETALING JAYA: Game creators usually look to nature for inspiration to model their creations, like how Pokémon (which is short for "pocket monster") are based on real-life animals (and plants) in the real world.
But what if it is the other way around? Could there be a new species of cockroach named after a Pokémon?
VERDICT:
TRUE
In this case of life imitating art, a new species of cockroach found in a forested nature reserve in Singapore was named after the Ultra Beast Pokémon Pheromosa in 2023.
Entomologist Foo Maosheng, who co-authored the finding, said: "There are some similarities between Pheromosa (the Pokémon) 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 also Pokémon fans, so we thought why not name it after a Pokémon inspired by a cockroach."
The discovery of Nocticola Pheromosa, published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology on Feb 27, 2023, marks the first time a cockroach from the genus Nocticola (which means "fond of the night" in Latin) has been detected in the republic.
"I'm just like one of those bug-type trainers (in Pokémon) as I go to different places to find out more about what insects we have.
"This contributes to the museum for research and education and The Biodiversity of Singapore website, which is kind of like our local Pokédex," Foo was quoted as saying.
Pheromosa was first introduced to the world in 2016 when it appeared as one of the seventh-generation Pokémon players can catch in Pokémon Moon on the Nintendo 3DS console.
It is a thin, white, feminine-like, cockroach-like Pokémon with goldfish-shaped mane and long antennas.
Known by its code name UB-02 Beauty, the Pokédex entry in Pokémon Moon reads: "One of the Ultra Beasts. It refuses to touch anything, perhaps because it senses some uncleanness in this world."
While unique, this cockroach is not the first animal named after a Pokémon.
In 2021, three Australian beetles were named after rare bird Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, identified by their fiery colours.
Source:
https://www.pokemon.com/us/
https://pokemon.fandom.com/
https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/new-
