A number of introduced species, some of which have become

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

, have been added to New Zealand's native flora and fauna. Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement, with several waves of Polynesian people at some time before the year 1300, followed by Europeans after 1769. Almost without exception, the introduced species have been detrimental to the native flora and fauna, but some, such as farmed sheep and cows and the clover upon which they feed, now form a large part of the economy of New Zealand. Possibility of introduced

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s ( deer) to serve as ecological proxies for extinct moa has been questioned.

Biosecurity New Zealand Biosecurity in New Zealand guards against threats to agriculture and biodiversity, with strict border control measures being taken to prevent unwanted organisms from entering the country. __NOTOC__ New Zealand is an island nation that is geog ...

maintains registers and lists of species that are invasive, potentially invasive, or a threat to agriculture or biodiversity. They also manage a small number of species under the National Interest Pest Responses (NIPR) programme. The rainbow lorikeet is the one animal that has been covered by the NIPR, and was eradicated in 2014. All the other species covered by the NIPR, past or present, are weeds. Clematis vitalba smothering a Cordyline australis

Clematis vitalba smothering a Cordyline australis

Animal species

Many invasive animal species are listed in schedules 5 and 6 of the Wildlife Act 1953. Those in Schedule 5 have no protection and may be killed. Those in Schedule 6 are declared to be noxious animals and subject to the

Wild Animal Control Act 1977 The Wild Animal Control Act 1977 is a current Act of Parliament in New Zealand. It is administered by the Department of Conservation. Part 3 of the Act establishes recreational hunting areas (RHAs). If the wild animal species are not kept in ...

. In 2016 the New Zealand government introduced

Predator Free 2050 Predator Free 2050 is a plan put forth by the New Zealand government with the goal of eradicating all of its mammalian introduced predators by 2050.Compare: Opposition to planned procedures associated with poisoning feral cats arose in Se ...

, a project to eliminate all non-native predators (such as rats, possums and stoats) by 2050. Some of the invasive animal species are as follows.

Mammals

* Brown rat or Norway rat (''Rattus norvegicus'') *

Black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

(''Rattus rattus'') * Kiore (Polynesian rat) * Cat *

Chamois The chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Alps, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the Ril ...

* Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'') * Dog * European hare * European hedgehog * European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') * Fallow deer *

Ferret The ferret (''Mustela furo'') is a small, Domestication, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), evidenced by their Hybrid (biol ...

(''Mustela putorius furo'') * Goat * Himalayan tahr * Horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') *

House mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus '' Mus''. Althoug ...

(''Mus musculus'') *

Least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus '' Mustela,'' family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has bee ...

* Pig * Stoat (''Mustela erminea'') * Red deer * Rusa deer *

Sambar deer The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local ins ...

* Sika deer * Wallaby * Wapiti (elk) * Whitetail deer

Reptiles

*Plague skink or rainbow skink ('' Lampropholis delicata'')

Birds

* Australian magpie *

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

* Cirl bunting * Common mynaLowe S., Browne M., Boudjelas S. and de Poorter M. (2000, updated 2004)
100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species: A selection from the Global Invasive Species Database
. The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), a specialist group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Auckland. * Common redpoll *

Common starling The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...

* Dunnock * European goldfinch * European greenfinch *

Mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

Mute Swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...

* Rainbow lorikeet * Rook * Yellowhammer

Fish

* Koi * '' Gambusia affinis'' * Common rudd * Catfish *

Brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

Invertebrates

*Argentine ant (''

Linepithema humile The Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), formerly ''Iridomyrmex humilis'', is an ant native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and southern Brazil. It is an invasive species that has been established in many Mediterranean climat ...

'') *Asian paddle crab ('' Charybdis japonica'') *Asian paper wasp (''

Polistes chinensis ''Polistes chinensis'' is a polistine vespid wasp in the cosmopolitan genus ''Polistes'', and is commonly known as the Asian, Chinese or Japanese paper wasp. It is found in East Asia, in particular China and Japan. The subspecies ''P. chinens ...

'') *Australian paper wasp ('' Polistes humilis'') *Carpet sea squirt (''

Didemnum vexillum ''Didemnum vexillum'' is a species of Colony (biology), colonial tunicate in the family (biology), family Didemnidae. It is commonly called sea vomit, marine vomit, pancake batter tunicate, or carpet sea squirt. It is thought to be native to J ...

'') *Common wasp ('' Vespula vulgaris'') *European paper wasp ('' Polistes dominula'') *German wasp ('' Vespula germanica'') *Varroa mite ('' Varroa destructor'')

Spiders

* there are 73 known introduced spiders, of which 50 are

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n, including :*'' Philoponella congregabilis'' :*The redback, ''Latrodectus hasselti'', thought to have arrived with a steel shipment in the 1980s

Plant and other non-animal species

The National Pest Plant Accord, with a listing of about 120 genus, species, hybrids and subspecies, was developed to limit the spread of plant pests. Invasive plants are classified as such on a regional basis with some plants declared as national plant pests. Biosecurity New Zealand manages a small number of weeds under the National Interest Pest Responses programme. As of May 2024, NIPR covers nine weeds. Hornwort ('' Ceratophyllum demersum'') was covered until it was eradicated in 2014. Additionally, the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

lists 328 vascular plant species as environmental weeds. Some of the better-known invasive plant species are: *''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

'' species (mostly Australian) especially wattle *'' Acanthus'' - bear's breeches *'' Agapanthus'' *Arrowhead (''

Sagittaria sagittifolia ''Sagittaria sagittifolia'' (also called arrowhead due to the shape of its leaves) is a flowering plant in the family Alismataceae, native to wetlands most of Europe from Ireland and Portugal to Finland and Bulgaria, and in Russia, Ukraine, Siber ...

'') *'' Arundo donax'' - giant reed (or elephant grass) *Asiatic knotweed ('' Reynoutria japonica'' or ''Fallopia japonica'') * Banana passionfruit * Blackberry *

Boneseed ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' (synonym ''Chrysanthemoides monilifera'') is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is native to southern Africa, ranging through South Africa and Lesotho to Mozambique and Zim ...

(''

Chrysanthemoides monilifera ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' ''(Chrysanthemoides monilifera)'' is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree of the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to South Africa, such as the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld habitat. Most subspecies have woo ...

'') * Boxthorn (''Lycium ferossimum'') * Broom (''Cytisus scoparius'') *

Buckthorn ''Rhamnus'' is a genus of about 110 accepted species of shrubs or small trees, commonly known as buckthorns, in the family Rhamnaceae. Its species range from tall (rarely to ) and are native mainly in east Asia and North America, but found thr ...

(''Rhamnus alaternus'') * Californian thistle (''Cirsium arvense'') *

Cape sundew ''Drosera capensis'', commonly known as the Cape sundew, is a small rosette-forming carnivorous species of perennialVarious, ''The Reader's Digest Gardeners Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers'', Reader's Digest Association, 1992 sundew native ...

(''Drosera capensis'') *

Cape tulip ''Moraea'', the Cape tulips, is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1758. The group is widespread across Africa, the Mediterranean, and central and southwestern Asia. The genus name is a tribute to the English ...

* Castor oil plant (''Ricinus communis'') * Christmasberry (''Schinus terebinthifolius'') * Climbing asparagus (''Asparagus scandens'') *

Darwin's barberry ''Berberis darwinii'', Darwin’s barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the Family (biology), family Berberidaceae, native to southern Chile and Argentina and naturalized elsewhere. Regional vernacular names include ''michay'', ''calafate ...

(''Berberis darwnii'') *''

Didymosphenia geminata ''Didymosphenia geminata'', commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that produces nuisance growths in freshwater rivers and streams with consistently cold water temperatures and low nutrient levels. It is native to the nor ...

'' ("didymo" or "rock snot") *Field horsetail (''

Equisetum arvense ''Equisetum arvense'', the field horsetail or common horsetail, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the Equisetidae (horsetails) sub-class, native throughout the arctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It has separate steril ...

'') *'' Glyceria maxima'', also called ''Poa aquatica'' *

Gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...

(''Ulex europaeus'') * Heather (''Calluna vulgaris'') * Japanese honeysuckle (''Lonicera japonica'') *

Jasmine Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultiva ...

(''Jasminum polyanthum'') *

Kahili ginger ''Hedychium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some species have become ...

(''Hedychium gardnerianum'') *'' Lantana camara'' * Lodgepole pine (''Pinus contorta'') * Loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'') *

Lupin ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

*Madeira vine (''

Anredera cordifolia ''Anredera cordifolia'', commonly known as the Madeira-vine or mignonette vine, is a South American species of ornamental succulent vine of the family Basellaceae. The combination of fleshy leaves and thick aerial tubers makes this a very heavy ...

'') * Mexican daisy (''Erigeron karvinskianus'') * Mexican devil (''Ageratina adenophora'') *Mile-a-minute (''

Dipogon lignosus ''Dipogon lignosus'', the okie bean, Cape sweet-pea, dolichos pea or mile-a-minute vine, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is the only species classified in the monotypic genus ''Dipogon'' which belongs to the su ...

'') * Mistflower (''Ageratina riparia'') * Morning glory (''Convolvulus'') * Moth plant (''Araujia sericifera'') *

Old man's beard Old man's beard may refer to the following: * ''Chionanthus virginicus'', a tree, which is used like a medicinal plant and ornamental plant. * ''Clematis aristata'', an Australian climbing plant. * ''Clematis vitalba'', a climbing plant. * ''Tillan ...

(''Clematis vitalba'') * Oxygen weed (''Egeria'') * Oxygen weed (''Lagarosiphon major'') *

Pampas grass Pampas grass or pampas-grass is a common name which may refer to any of several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass: * Species of ''Cortaderia'' including: :* ''Cortaderia selloana'' and its selected cultivars :* '' Cortaderia jubata'' ( ...

(''Cortaderia selloana'') * Privet **

Tree privet ''Ligustrum lucidum'', the broad-leaf privet,Weed profile: Privet
New So ...

(''Ligustrum lucidum'') ** Chinese privet (''Ligustrum sinense'') * Purple loosestrife (''Lythrum salicaria'') * Queen of the night (''Cestrum nocturnum'') * Ragwort *'' Rhododendron ponticum'' *Royal fern ('' Osmunda regalis'') *'' Salix cinerea'' (gray willow) * ''Salix'' × ''fragilis'' (crack willow) * Scotch thistle (''Onopordum acanthium'') *Smilax ('' Asparagus asparagoides'') * Sycamore (''Acer pseudoplatanus'') *'' Tradescantia fluminensis'' *Water pennywort (''

Hydrocotyle umbellata ''Hydrocotyle umbellata'' is an aquatic plant that thrives in wet, sandy habitat. Its English common name is manyflower marshpennywort or dollarweed. It is native to North America and parts of South America. In Brazil it is known as acariçoba a ...

'') *Woolly nightshade ('' Solanum mauritianum'') * Yellow flag (''Iris pseudacorus'') Auckland has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.

References

External links

Biosecurity New Zealand
government agency
Official New Zealand Pest Register
– searchable database at the Ministry for Primary Industries
Pests and threats
Department of Conservation
Information on plant pests
at Weedbusters ;Publications * * {{Oceania in topic, Invasive species in

Invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

New Zealand