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First new Japanese cockroach species in 35 years discovered by scientists【Photos】

Eureka!

It’s safe to say that 2020 has been a challenging, even trying time for a lot of people. But hey, every dark cloud has a silver lining, like the recent discovery made by a team of Japanese scientists.

Well, depending on how you feel about certain parts of the animal kingdom, maybe it’s not so much a silver lining as yet another ring of inky despair, as what they’ve found is not just one, but two new species of cockroaches.

The discovery was made by a research group including soil zoologist Satoshi Shimano from Hosei University, Ryuyo Insect Nature Observation Park staff member Shimizu Yanagisawa, and Kagoshima University entomologist Yoshitaka Sakamaki. Both of the newly identified roaches belong to the Eucorydia genus, part of the Blattodea order’s Corydiidae family.

▼ One of the two species

While an immediate revulsion towards cockroaches is understandable, there are a number of reassuring aspects of the newly found insects to put your mind at ease. First off, you’re not likely to find them crawling around your kitchen, as their habitat is the forests of the Nansei island chain, which stretches from Kagoshima Prefecture down to Okinawa before curving off towards Taiwan. They subsist off of decaying organic matter, filling a beneficial role for the ecosystem as decomposers.

The researchers also point out that while many people’s first mental image of cockroaches is as dark and dirty things, the two new species have “an incredibly beautiful blue metallic luster, with vibrant orange markings that create a band across their abdomen.”

▼ The second species. Going by cockroach standards, we have to admit it is kind of a looker.

The discoveries are the first new species of cockroach to be found in Japan in 35 years, and while ordinary folks generally like to keep their bug-free streaks going for as long as possible, for scientists and entomology fans Japan’s newest biodiversity boost, which brings its indigenous cockroach total up to 59 species, is something to celebrate.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
Insert images: PR Times
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where the section on roaches was one of the creepiest parts of his college entomology class.

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