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On March 31 this year, a tiny green cockroach nymph was seen crawling on the wooden pillar of a rope fence in Singapore's forests.

While we might typically recoil at the sight of a cockroach, this little green guy, with an intricate orange and white pattern on its back, might invoke a sense of curiosity instead.

First record of a green cockroach in Singapore

The insect was spotted at Thomson Nature Park by Law Jia Bao and Triston Yeo.

With its long antennae the length of its body, the emerald green insect with slightly translucent sides was only about 1 cm in length.

This is the first time a green cockroach has been observed in Singapore, and our first record of an insect in the genus Sorineuchora.

The finding was published by Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) on June 30, and the Entomological Network of Singapore shared the new observation on Facebook on August 31.

Unidentified species in the genus Sorineuchora

There are only two cockroach taxa that are bright green, and the genus Sorineuchora is one of them.

The other green cockroach is the Cuban or green banana cockroach, which is only found in the Americas.

Unfortunately, out of the 11 known species of Sorineuchora worldwide, the exact species of this nymph was unable to be determined.

This is because an adult male is required to confidently identify the species.

Cataloguing insect biodiversity

Globally, insects are facing an extinction rate about eight times faster than other animals like birds and mammals, according to LKCNHM entomologist Foo Maosheng.

Therefore, it is critical that the museum documents our local insect biodiversity before they disappear.

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Top images via Law Jia Bao and Triston Yeo.