A new cockroach species has been discovered and named after the Pokemon Pheromosa. It's not news to Pokemon fans that many Pokemon have 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, a group of extradimensional Pokemon featured in Pokemon Sun and Moon. According to Sun and Moon lore, 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. In Pokemon games, the only appearance of Pheromosa is in Sun and Moon, while the Pokemon also has a few appearances in the manga. In the anime, fans saw the Bug/Fighting-type debut in Pokemon the Series: Sun & Moon.
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 like Pokemon, proving that Pokemon fans 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 a creature 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 more Pokemon in real life than fans might imagine. Going further, Maosheng and Lucanas also prove that Pokemon scientists exist outside of games and anime as well.
Source: The Straits Times