A new group of invaders have come to New York City. It is not the aliens from The Avengers, but rather a species of cockroach that is able to resist the cold weather than the native breeds found in North America.

Dominic Evangelista, a Ph.D. candidate in insect biology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and co-author Jessica Ware released their findings in a new article in the Journal of Economic Entomology. The scientists noted that the newest invasive species, called Periplaneta japonica, may soon spread out and begin being spotted in new areas of New York City as the weather continues to turn frosty.

The species of cockroach, which as the name implies is native to Japan, have been found in High Line Park. The species of cockroach can be intensified as being smaller than native cockroach species found in the United States, and are colored black. It is unclear how the species made the jump from Japan to the East Coast.

The bad news when it comes to this new type of cockroach is that the Periplaneta japonica cockroach is able to survive and even thrive in cold weather conditions, meaning that New Yorkers can expect to see these guys crawling around even during a snowstorm. Study co-author Jessica Ware explains to National Geographic why this species sudden appearance could quickly spread beyond High Line Park:

"It can survive outdoors, and thrives on ice...It is possible that they will spread and thrive over the winter given their cold tolerance,"

This could mean that the new cockroach could spread throughout the city and beyond, and could push out native species who are unable to survive in the winter conditions. While the bugs have yet to spread out, Dominic Evangelista encourages anyone who spots the insect outside of the park to document the creature and send in a photo to BugGuide.net or sending a Twitter message to @Roach_Brain or @NYInvasiveSpp.

Cockroaches are notorious for their ability to survive in the harshest conditions found on Earth. In particular, it is though that the cockroach is one of the few species on Earth that is able to survive high amounts of radiation. The good news is that this new species and native New York City cockroaches could limit each other's growth through competition and possible cause less of both types of bugs to live in the city.