This is a list of invasive species in Europe. A species is regarded as invasive if it has become introduced to a location, area, or region where it did not previously occur naturally (i.e., is not a native species) and becomes capable of establishing a breeding population in the new location. An invasive species will be one that thrives in its new environment and negatively influences the ecology and biodiversity of that ecosystem. Negative effects can also affect humans, by compromising health (e.g. vectors of diseases) or socioeconomic systems (e.g. damages to agriculture or forestry).
The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species. If a species has been introduced but remains local, and is not problematic to human systems or to the local biodiversity, then it does not belong on this list.
Plants
Acacia sp. Ministry of Agriculture, Nourishing and Environment of Spain. Retrieved on 2017-04-20 Ailanthus altissima (Tree of heaven)Ailanthus altissima distribution in Europe . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) Amorpha fruticosa (Desert false indigo)EPPO List of invasive alien plants . European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Ragweed)Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed). CABI, Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved on 2020-04-27Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Gyűjtő Zsolt SAPIENTIA Hungarian University of Transilvania Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Cluj-Napoca. Retrieved on 2010-11-30. Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Baccharis halimifolia (Eastern baccharis) Buddleja davidii Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush). CABI, Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved on 2020-04-27 Cabomba caroliniana (fanwort) Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig)Alien range of Carpobrotus edulis. ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Clematis vitalba (Old man's beard) Cortaderia spp. Crassula helmsii (Australian swamp stonecrop)Most Unwanted: New Zealand pigmyweed . Invasive Species Ireland. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed)Barrat-Segretain, M. 2001. [Invasive species in the Rhône river floodplain (France): replacement of Elodea canadensis michaux by E. nuttallii St. John in two former river channels]. (Abstract). Archiv für Hydrobiologie 152(2):237-251. Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall's waterweed) Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust) Gunnera tinctoria (Chilean rhubarb) Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed)Heracleum mantegazzianum distribution in Europe . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Heracleum persicum (Persian hogweed) Heracleum sosnowskyi (Sosnowsky's hogweed) Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating pennywort)Maguire, C.M., Cosgrove, P.J. and Kelly, J. 2008.Floating Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) Management Plan. Invasive Species Ireland. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam)Impatiens glandulifera alien range . Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Lagarosiphon major (curly waterweed) Lantana camara Lantana camara (lantana). CABI, Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved on 2020-04-27 Ludwigia grandiflora (water-primrose) Ludwigia peploides (floating primrose-willow) Lysichiton americanus (American skunk cabbage)List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern, European Commission. Retrieved on 1 May 2018 Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot feather)Myriophyllum aquaticum distribution in the United Kingdom . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Myriophyllum heterophyllum (broadleaf watermilfoil) Nicotiana glauca Nicotiana glauca(tree tobacco). CABI, Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved on 2020-04-27 Oxalis pes-caprae (buttercup oxalis) Oxalis pes-caprae. ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2020-04-27 Pennisetum setaceum (crimson fountaingrass) Pistia stratiotes (water cabbage) https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/
Pueraria lobata (kudzu vine) Reynoutria japonica (syn. Fallopia japonica) (Japanese knotweed)Fallopia japonica distribution in Europe . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Rhododendron ponticum (pontic rhododendron)Invasive Alien Species in Northern Ireland: Rhododendron ponticum . National Museums Northern Ireland. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)Robinia pseudoacacia distribution in Europe . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03. Rosa rugosa
Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) Tradescantia fluminensis Vallisneria spiralis https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/ Myriophyllum aquaticum (parrot feather watermilfoil) https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/
Algae
Caulerpa racemosa (Grape caulerpa)Durand, C., et al. 2002.Molecular data suggest a hybrid origin for the invasive Caulerpa racemosa (Caulerpales, Chlorophyta) in the Mediterranean Sea . Journal of Evolutionary Biology 15:122-133. Caulerpa taxifolia, Mediterranean cloneAlien range of Caulerpa taxifolia . ISSG Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.
Animals
Bryozoans Bugula neritina (brown bryozoan) Schizoporella errata (branching bryozoan) Tricellaria inopinata
Cnidarians Cordylophora caspia (euryhaline hydroid) Rhopilema nomadica (nomad jellyfish)
Ctenophores Mnemiopsis leidyi (warty comb jelly)
Arthropods
Crustaceans Balanus improvisus (Bay barnacle) Cercopagis pengoi (fishhook waterflea) Chelicorophium curvispinum (Caspian mud shrimp) Dikerogammarus villosus (Killer shrimp) Elminius modestus (Australasian barnacle) Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab)Eriocheir sinensis. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2020-11-01. Hemigrapsus takanoi (brush-clawed shore crab) Hemimysis anomala (bloody-red mysid) imnomysis benedeni (Donau-Schwebgarnele) Limnoria lignorum (gribble) Orconectes limosus (Spiny-cheek crayfish)Holdich, D. and Black, J. 2007. The spiny-cheek crayfish, Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Cambaridae), digs into the UK. Aquatic Invasions 2(1):1–16. Orconectes virilis (Virile crayfish)The virile crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Cambaridae), identified in the UK. Ahern, Daniel, et al. 2008. Aquatic Invasions 3(1):102-104. Retrieved on 2008-12-03. Pacifastacus leniusculus (Signal crayfish)Pacifastacus leniusculus. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2022-11-01. Palaemon elegans (rockpool shrimp) Paralithodes camtschaticus (Red king crab)Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet: Paralithodes camtschaticus. North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Percnon gibbesi (Sally Lightfoot crab) Pontogammarus robustoides Procambarus clarkii (Louisiana crawfish)Procambarus clarkii. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2022-11-01. Macrobrachium dayanum https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/ Neocaridina davidi (Cherry Shrimp) https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/ Macrobrachium nipponense (Oriental river prawn) https://www.ichthyologie.de/invasive-tropische-fische-in-deutschland-das-gillbach-erft-system/ Palaemon macrodactylus
Insects Adelges piceae (balsam woolly adelgid) Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) Aleurodicus dispersus (spiralling whitefly) Aphis spiraecola (green citrus aphid) Aproceros leucopoda (elm zigzag sawfly) Aromia bungii (red necked longicorn) Bemisia tabaci (silverleaf whitefly) Cacyreus marshalli (geranium bronze) Cameraria ohridella (horse-chestnut leaf miner) Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) Chilo suppressalis (striped rice stem borer) Cinara cupressi (Cypress aphid) Corythucha ciliata (sycamore lace bug) Cryptotermes brevis (West Indian drywood termite) Ctenarytaina eucalypti (blue gum psyllid) Cydalima perspectalis (box tree moth) Dendroctonus micans (great spruce bark beetle) Diabrotica virgifera (Western corn rootworm) Dreyfusia nordmannianae (silver fir adelges) Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing drosophila) Dryocosmus kuriphilus (chestnut gall wasp) Epiphyas postvittana (light brown apple moth) Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips) Gilpinia hercyniae (European spruce sawfly) Halyomorpha halys (marmorated stink bug) Harmonia axyridis (Asian lady beetle)Harmonia axyridis. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2022-11-01. Hypogeococcus pungens (cactus mealybug) Icerya purchasi (cottony cushion scale) Lasius neglectus (invasive garden ant) Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado beetle)Invasive Alien Species in Northern Ireland: Leptinotarsa decemlineata . National Museums Northern Ireland. Retrieved on 2009-04-10. Leptocybe invasa (blue gum chalcid) Lilioceris lilii (scarlet lily beetle) Linepithema humile (Argentine ant) Lysiphlebus testaceipes Megastigmus spermotrophus (Douglas-fir seed chalcid) Opogona sacchari (banana moth) Monomorium pharaonis (Pharaoh ant) Paratrechina longicornis (longhorn crazy ant) Paysandisia archon (castniid palm borer) Pheidole megacephala (big-headed ant) Phoracantha semipunctata (Australian Eucalyptus longhorn) Phyllonorycter issikii (lime leaf miner) Rhagoletis cingulata (eastern cherry fruit fly) Scaphoideus titanus (American grapevine leafhopper) Solenopsis invicta (red imported fire ant) Simacauda dicommatias (a South American moth) Takahashia japonica (string cottony scale) Thaumastocoris peregrinus (bronze bug) Trialeurodes ricini (castor bean whitefly) Vespa velutina nigrithorax (Yellow-legged Asian hornet) Vespula germanica (European wasp) Vespula vulgaris (common wasp) Xyleborus perforans (island pinhole borer) Xylosandrus germanus (black timber bark beetle)
Chordates
Ascidians Microcosmus squamiger Polyandrocarpa zorritensis Styela clava (Stalked sea squirt)Styela clava. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved on 2022-11-01.
Amphibians Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) Mesotriton alpestris (Alpine newt)
Birds
Acridotheres tristis (common myna) Alopochen aegyptiacus (Egyptian goose) Amandava amandava (red avadavat) Branta canadensis (Canada goose) Corvus splendens (House crow) Estrilda astrild (common waxbill) Estrilda troglodytes (black-rumped waxbill) Euodice cantans (African silverbill) Euplectes afer (yellow-crowned bishop) Leiothrix lutea (Red-billed leiothrix) Myiopsitta monachus (Monk parakeet) Oxyura jamaicensis (Ruddy duck) Phasianus colchicus (common pheasant) Ploceus cucullatus (village weaver) Ploceus melanocephalus (black-headed weaver) Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed parakeet) Threskiornis aethiopicus (African sacred ibis)
Fish Alburnus alburnus (common bleak) Ameiurus melas (Black bullhead (catfish)) Australoheros facetus (Chameleon cichlid) Carassius auratus (goldfish) Carassius gibelio (Prussian carp) Cyprinus carpio (common carp) Esox lucius (northern pike) Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog) Gambusia holbrooki (eastern mosquitofish) Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) Lepomis gibbosus (Pumpkinseed sunfish)Leppakoski, Erkki. Invasive aquatic species of Europe: distribution, impacts, and management. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1998. The Netherlands. 156-162. Leuciscus leuciscus (common dace) Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass) Neogobius fluviatilis (monkey goby) Neogobius melanostomus (round goby) Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) Perccottus glenii (Chinese sleeper) Pseudorasbora parva (stone moroko) Rutilus rutilus (common roach) Sander lucioperca (Sander lucioperca)