14 DAY TRIAL // It may seem New Yorkers have another pest to deal with, one that seems to be a bit stronger than the usual NYC bugs as it can survive freezing temperatures and make it through the winter. The cockroach was identified in Manhattan, being the first time this kind of insect is documented on the territory of the United States.
The species is called Periplaneta japonica and is commonly found in regions of Asia, known as one of the world's most resistant insects. Besides the fact that it can live indoors like other hated roaches, the Asian insect's cold endurance shocked researchers as they proved it can survive very well in cold climates, according to Rutgers news.
The insect was first spotted in New York in 2012 by an exterminator working in Manhattan, who noticed it because of its unfamiliar look. The man believed the bug was worth studying and sent the roach to the University of Florida. In order to precisely track the species, the researchers from the University contacted the Smithsonian crew specialized in cockroaches and determined they were dealing with the Periplaneta japonica.
Two of the specialists documenting the case are Jessica Ware and Dominic Evangelista, who confirmed the fact that the roach captured in Manhattan's High Line is of Asian origin, notes Rutgers. How it arrived in New York is still unclear, but the scientists believe it to have been brought with the soil of the ornamental plants placed on the High Line.
The biggest concern at the moment is whether this particular species will affect the city, taking its resistance into consideration. These cockroaches are similar to the ones that already live in the city so for the moment researchers believe they will just compete with the others for space and food, this taking most of their energy.
Questions of a weird and powerful hybrid that could be born from possible interbreed mixing have flooded the media, but the researchers assure that the Periplaneta japonica cannot mutate with other species because of its private parts incompatibility. The male and female insects can only breed with insects from the same species.
As for New Yorkers, they now have another pest on their heads, a cold-resistant one this time, as if the ones that already conquered the city weren't enough.