Top Results for Invasive

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a metallic-green wood-boring beetle in the jewel beetle family Buprestidae. Native to parts of Asia, it was first detected in North America in 2002 near Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. Its larvae feed beneath ash-tree bark, damaging the tissues...

The green shore crab, Carcinus maenas, is a small crab native to the northeastern Atlantic coast and parts of the Mediterranean region. It lives in intertidal and shallow coastal habitats, tolerates changes in salinity, and has been transported to many regions outside its original range. In places w...

Zoropsis spinimana, known as the Zoropsis or false-wolf spider, is a large cribellate spider native to the Mediterranean region. It has become naturalized in parts of northern Europe and the western United States, extending beyond its original range. Its body shape and hunting behavior can resemble...

The Cane Toad (Rhinella marina), native to Central and South America, was introduced to Australia in 1935 to control beetle pests and has since become one of the country's most destructive invasive species.

Opuntia stricta, commonly called erect prickly pear, is a pad-forming cactus native to the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. The species belongs to the prickly-pear group, and its common name refers to an erect growth form. Outside its native range, it became one of the damaging invasive...

Malaysian Trumpet Snail is the common name for Melanoides tuberculata, a freshwater gastropod native to parts of Africa and Asia. It is widely established outside its original range and is treated as invasive in some regions. The snail burrows through sediment, where it can mix the substrate, and it...

The common slipper snail is a marine gastropod in the family Calyptraeidae, native to the Atlantic coast of North America and introduced to parts of Europe, where it became associated with oyster cultivation. Crepidula fornicata lives on rocks, shells, and other hard surfaces, often forming stacked...

Dictyosphaeria cavernosa is a species of green alga in the family Siphonocladaceae. It forms hollow, inflated, bubble-like thalli that may occur attached to hard surfaces in shallow tropical marine habitats, including coral-reef environments. The species is studied in marine ecology because its dist...

Eyprepocnemis plorans is a grasshopper associated with North Africa and the Middle East and has also established populations in the Canary Islands. It belongs to the subfamily Eyprepocnemidinae within the family Acrididae. The species is relevant to studies of insect dispersal and introduced populat...

Opuntia stricta is a prickly pear cactus in the cactus family, Cactaceae, native to parts of the Americas. It has flattened, jointed pads, clusters of spines, yellow flowers, and edible fruits that can mature to reddish or purplish colors. The species has been introduced widely and is considered inv...

Opuntia dillenii is a prickly pear cactus in the genus Opuntia, recognized by its flattened stem segments and clusters of spines. Native to the Americas, it has been introduced and naturalized in many tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean regions. In several of those areas it behaves as an invasi...

Codium fragile, commonly called dead man's fingers, is a green alga with a soft, spongy, branching body. It occurs in temperate marine environments and has spread beyond parts of its original range through human activity and natural dispersal. The species became established on the Atlantic coast of...

The Chinese shore crab is a small crustacean native to the coastal waters and rocky intertidal zones of East Asia, often studied for its complex mating and territorial behaviors.

The white-fingered mud crab is a small estuarine crab associated with brackish water, marshes, canals, and other sheltered coastal habitats. Its scientific name is Rhithropanopeus harrisii, and it is native to Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions of the Americas. The species has been transported beyond...

Grateloupia turuturu is a red alga in the family Halymeniaceae that is native to the western Pacific, including coastal areas of Asia. It has become established outside its native range, including along Atlantic coasts of Europe, where it can form broad blade-like growth and dense patches. The speci...

The giant apple snail, Pomacea maculata, is a large freshwater gastropod native to South America and a member of the family Ampullariidae. Its shell can exceed 15 centimeters in diameter, making it one of the largest freshwater snails. The species has been introduced beyond its native range and is c...

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is a freshwater synbranchid fish native to parts of South and East Asia. It breathes atmospheric air through its mouth and skin, allowing it to tolerate poorly oxygenated water. During drought, it can survive by burrowing into moist mud. The species has also be...

Asian Longhorn Beetle is a wood-boring beetle native to China and Korea. It is recognized as an invasive agricultural and forestry pest in North America and Europe, where it threatens trees through its wood-boring activity. The species is relevant to plant-health authorities, foresters, and research...

The Flat Rock Crab is a marine crustacean known for its distinctly flattened body, which allows it to hide in narrow coastal rock crevices around the world.

The Devil Crab is a marine crustacean known for its heavily calcified, spiky exoskeleton, inhabiting coral rubble and rocky substrates throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Cipangopaludina chinensis is a large freshwater snail native to East Asia and commonly known as the Chinese mystery snail. It has been introduced to parts of North America, where established populations occur in lakes, rivers, and other slow-moving waters. The species is live-bearing and can reach a...

Theba pisana is a small land snail native to the Mediterranean region and parts of western Europe. It has been introduced to other areas, including Australia, where it can become an agricultural pest in crops and pastures. During dry conditions, the snails climb plants and enter aestivation, a dorma...

The cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, is a South American moth in the family Pyralidae whose caterpillars feed inside prickly pear and other Opuntia cacti. It was introduced into Australia in the 1920s as a biological control agent against invasive prickly pear, where it contributed to the reducti...

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, is a small wood-boring beetle native to Asia. It carries the fungus Raffaelea lauricola, which causes laurel wilt disease in trees of the laurel family, including redbay and avocado. After its detection in the southeastern United States in the early 2...

Potamopyrgus antipodarum is a small freshwater snail native to New Zealand and commonly known as Jenkins’ spire shell or the New Zealand mud snail. It has a tall, many-whorled shell and can reproduce rapidly, allowing introduced populations to spread through rivers, lakes, and other freshwater syste...

Zonitoides arboreus is a small terrestrial snail commonly known as the quick gloss snail. It is native to North America and has been transported to other parts of the world, where it may occur outside its original range. The shell is smooth, thin, and glossy, with a low rounded form. The species has...

Bonnemaisonia hamifera is a red alga native to the western Pacific, especially around Japan, that has become established along parts of the European Atlantic coast. Its branching structure includes distinctive hook-like lateral branchlets, which help distinguish it from some other feathery red algae...

The Australian Spider Beetle (Ptinus tectus) is a small beetle native to Australasia and a member of the family Ptinidae. It has become widely distributed beyond its original range and is treated as a pest of stored products and other materials kept in buildings. Infestations may affect food stores,...

Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical South America. It has swollen, buoyant leaf stalks, glossy leaves, and spikes of usually violet or lavender flowers. Its rapid vegetative growth can produce dense mats that obstruct waterways, reduce...

Caulerpa cylindracea is a green marine alga native to Australia and surrounding parts of the Indo-Pacific region. It has spread beyond its original range, including into the Mediterranean Sea, where it can form extensive mats on the seabed. Because dense growth may compete with native algae and seag...