List of invasive species in Europe
Encyclopedia
Also see Invasive species in the British Isles
Invasive species in the British Isles
As with other islands globally, the British Isles are particularly vulnerable to invasive species. Usually, an island will have several distinct species, which are not present on the nearest mainland, and vice-versa...
This is a list of invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. A species is regarded as invasive if it has been introduced by human action to a location, area, or region where it did not previously occur naturally (i.e., is not a native species), becomes capable of establishing a breeding population in the new location without further intervention by humans, and becomes a pest in the new location, directly threatening agriculture or the local biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. If a species has been introduced but remains local, and is not problematic to agriculture or to the local biodiversity, then it cannot be considered to be invasive, and does not belong on this list.
Plants
- Ailanthus altissima (Tree of heaven)
- Amorpha fruticosaAmorpha fruticosaAmorpha fruticosa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by several common names, including desert false indigo and bastard indigobush. It is found throughout eastern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of the continental United States, but it is probably naturalized in western...
(Desert false indigo) - Ambrosia artemisiifoliaAmbrosia artemisiifoliaAmbrosia artemisiifolia, Common Ragweed, is the most widespread plant of the genus Ambrosia in North America. It has also been called Annual Ragweed, Bitterweed, Blackweed, Carrot Weed, Hay Fever Weed, Roman Wormwood, Stammerwort, Stickweed, Tassel Weed, and American Wormwood...
(Amrosia artemisifolia) - Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig)
- Caulerpa racemosaCaulerpa racemosaCaulerpa racemosa is a species of green alga, a seaweed in the family Caulerpaceae. It is commonly known as sea grapes and is found in many areas of shallow sea around the world...
(Grape caulerpa) - Caulerpa taxifoliaCaulerpa taxifoliaCaulerpa taxifolia is a species of seaweed, an alga of the genus Caulerpa. Native to the Indian Ocean, it has been widely used ornamentally in aquariums. The alga has a stem which spreads horizontally just above the seafloor, and from this stem grow vertical fern-like pinnae, whose blades are flat...
, Mediterranean clone - Clematis vitalbaClematis vitalbaClematis vitalba is a shrub of the Ranunculaceae family.-Description:Clematis vitalba is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flowers with fluffy underlying sepals...
(Old man's beard) - Crassula helmsiiCrassula helmsii-Origins:Originally found in Australia and New Zealand, it has been introduced around the world. In the UK it is considered an invasive species.-Description:...
(Australian swamp stonecrop) - Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed)
- Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed)
- Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey locust)
- Heracleum mantegazzianum (Giant hogweed)
- Hydrocotyle ranunculoidesHydrocotyle ranunculoidesHydrocotyle ranunculoides, known commonly as water pennywort or floating pennywort is an aquatic plant in the Apiaceae. It is native to North and South America and parts of Africa. In the UK it is an invasive alien species which is currently spreading in waterways in the UK. It is also a weed in...
(Floating pennywort) - Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam)
- Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot feather)
- Rhododendron ponticumRhododendron ponticumRhododendron ponticum, called Common Rhododendron or Pontic Rhododendron, is a species of Rhododendron native to southern Europe and southwest Asia.-Description:...
- Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust)
Crustaceans
- Balanus improvisusBalanus improvisusBalanus improvisus is a species of acorn barnacle.It is not known where the species natural range lies, but it has colonised many parts of the world's oceans as a biofouling agent on the hulls of ships...
(bay barnacle) - Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab)
- Homarus americanus (American lobster)
- Orconectes limosusOrconectes limosusOrconectes limosus is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is native to the east coast of North America, from Maine to the lower James River, Virginia, but has also been introduced to Europe. It is unusual in that it lives in silty streams, rather than the clear water usually...
- Orconectes virilisOrconectes virilisOrconectes virilis is a species of crayfish known as the virile crayfish or the northern crayfish.-Ecology:Orconectes virilis can be found under stones in lakes, streams and wetlands, where they hide from predators, such as fish. They are identified by the brown of rust-red carapace and large...
(Virile crayfish) - Pacifastacus leniusculus) (Signal crayfish)
- Paralithodes camtschaticusParalithodes camtschaticusThe red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, is a species of king crab native to the Bering Sea. It grows to a leg span of , and is heavily targeted by fisheries.-Description:...
(Red king crab) - Procambarus clarkiiProcambarus clarkiiProcambarus clarkii is a freshwater crayfish species, native to the Southeastern United States, but found also on other continents, where it is often an invasive pest. It is known variously as the red swamp crawfish, red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish, Louisiana crayfish or mudbug.-Range and...
(Louisiana crawfish) - Procambarus fallax f. virginalis (MarmorkrebsMarmorkrebs', or marbled crayfish, are parthenogenetic crayfish that were discovered in the pet trade in Germany in the 1990s. are closely related to the "slough crayfish", Procambarus fallax. Procambarus fallax is widely distributed across Florida, but there are no known natural populations of Marmorkrebs...
)
Insects
- Harmonia axyridis (Asian lady beetle)
- Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado beetle)
Birds
- Alopochen aegyptiacus (Egyptian goose)
- Anser cygnoides (Swan goose)
- Anser indicus (Bar-headed goose)
- Branta canadensis (Canada goose)
- Corvus splendens (House crow)
- Myiopsitta monachus (Monk parakeet)
- Oxyura jamaicensis (Ruddy duck)
- Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed parakeet)
Mammals
- Muntiacus reevesi (Reeves's muntjac)
- Mustela vison (American mink)
- Myocastor coypus (Coypu, nutria)
- Nyctereutes procyonoides (Raccoon dog)
- Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat)
- Rattus norvegicus (Brown rat)
- Rattus rattus (Black rat)
- Sciurus carolinensis (Grey squirrel)
Marine
- Crassostrea gigas (Pacific oyster)
- Crepidula fornicata (Common slipper shell)
- Dreissena polymorpha (Zebra mussel)
- Ensis directus (American jack-knife clam)
- Rapana VenosaVeined rapa whelkRapana venosa, common name the veined rapa whelk or Asian rapa whelk, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or whelk, in the family Muricidae, the rock shells....
(Veined rapa whelk)
Freshwater
- Corbicula flumineaCorbicula flumineaCorbicula fluminea is a species of freshwater clam, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Corbiculidae.This species is of originally mainly Asian origin and thus it is often commonly called Asian clam or Asiatic clam. In the aquarium and koi pond trade it is often called Golden Clam or Golden...
(Freshwater bivalve mollusk) - Ferrissia fragilisFerrissia fragilisFerrissia fragilis is a species of small freshwater limpet, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae.- Distribution :This species is found in European countries and islands including:*Czech Republic*Germany*Netherlands*Poland...
(Freshwater limpet) - Melanoides tuberculata (Red-rimmed melania)
- Potamopyrgus antipodarum (New Zealand mud snail)
- Sinanodonta woodianaSinanodonta woodianaThe Chinese pond mussel, Eastern Asiatic freshwater clam or swan-mussel, scientific name Sinanodonta woodiana, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.-Distribution:...
(Chinese pond mussel)
Platyhelminthes
- Arthurdendyus triangulatus (New Zealand flatworm)
- Australoplana sanguinea (Australian flatworm)