"One of New York's newest tourist attractions has unwelcome visitor - a cockroach that can withstand the harsh winter cold."

"The High Line, a park that turned a dilapidated stretch of elevated railway on Manhattan's West Side into one of New York's newest tourist attractions, may have brought a different kind of visitor: a cockroach that can withstand harsh winter cold and never seen before in the US.

Rutgers University insect biologists Jessica Ware and Dominic Evangelista said the species Periplaneta japonica is well-documented in Asia but was never confirmed in the US until now.

The scientists, whose findings were published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, say it is too soon to predict the impact but that there is probably little cause for concern. 'Because this species is very similar to cockroach species that already exist in the urban environment,' Evangelista said, 'they likely will compete with each other for space and for food.'"

Ian Sample reports for The Guardian December 9, 2013, with wires. [2]