List of invasive species in India

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) represent a grave threat to India's globally significant biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and public health. These are non-native organisms—encompassing plants, animals, and microbes—that, once introduced, establish themselves and proliferate rapidly, causing devastating ecological and economic consequences. A Assessment report, compiled by National Biodiversity Authority for the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, is crucial for framing the national management strategies, identifying species based on their known impacts (such as biodiversity loss, economic loss, and health hazards), and tracking their continued range extension across various Indian ecosystems.[1][2]

Terrestrial Ecosystems

This table lists 54 terrestrial plant species (flora) that are invasive in India.

Terrestrial Plant Invasive Alien Species (54 Species)
S.No. Scientific name Common name
1. Abutilon crispum (L.) Brizicky Bladder Mallow
2. Acacia auriculiformis L. Northern black wattle
3. Acacia dealbata Link Silver wattle
4. Acacia mearnsii De Willd. Black wattle
5. Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King & H. Rob. Crofton weed or sticky snakeroot
6. Ageratina riparia (Regel)R. M.King & H. Rob. Creeping crofton weed
7. Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nichols Red Calico plant
8. Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze Brazilian joy weed
9. Alternanthera ficoidea P. Beauv. Joseph's coat
10. Alternanthera paronychioides St. Hil. Smooth joy weed
11. Alternanthera pungens Kunth. Khaki weed
12. Alternanthera tenella Colla Calico plant
13. Antigonon leptopus Hook. & Arn. Coral vine
14. Argemone mexicana L. Mexican poppy
15. Bidens pilosa L. Black Jack
16. Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray Carolina fanwort
17. Cannabis sativa L. Hemp/ Marijuna
18. Centrosema molle Benth. Butterfly-pea
19. Cestrum aurantiacum Lindl Orange cestrum
20. Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robin. Siam weed
21. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Canada thistle
22. Lepidium didymum L. Lesser swinecress
23. Cryptostegia grandiflora R. Br. Rubber vine
24. Cuscuta chinensis Lam. Dodder
25. Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link Scotch broom
26. Dactylandra welwitschii Hook. f. Badi Aankh
27. Evolvulus nummularius (L.) L. Round leaf Bindweed
28. Dinebra retroflexa (Vahl) Panz. Viper grass
29. Diplachne fusca (L.) P.Beauv. Brown flowered swamp grass
30. Dysphania ambrosioides Mosyakin & Clemants Mexican tea
31. Erigeron bonariensis L., Horseweed/ Butterweed
32. Erigeron canadensis L. Canadian horseweed
33. Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze Pig nut
34. Ipomoea eriocarpa R. Br. Purple morning glory
35. Ipomoea carnea Jacq. Bush Morning Glory/Shrub Ipomoea
36. Lantana camara L. Lantana
37. Muntingia calabura L. Jamaican cherry
38. Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit False/Horse tamarind
39. Maesopsis eminii Engl. Umbrella-tree
40. Mikania micrantha Kunth Mile-a-minute
41. Mimosa diplotricha C. Wight ex Sauvalle var. Giant sensitive plant
42. Mimosa pigra L. Cat claw mimosa
43. Opuntia dillenii Haw. Prickly pear
44. Opuntia elatior Miller Prickly pear
45. Parthenium hysterophorus L. Congress weed
46. Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone Elephant grass
47. Neltuma juliflora (Sw.) Raf. Mesquite
48. Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep Kudzu
49. Senna spectabilis (DC.) Irwin & Barneby Calceolaria shower
50. Solanum elaeagnifolium Cavanilles Silverleaf nightshade
51. Solanum mauritianum Scop. Bugweed
52. Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski Singapore daisy
53. Typha angustifolia L. Lesser bulrush
54. Ulex europeus L. Common gorse

Aquatic Ecosystems

This table includes all 56 species across aquatic plants, inland fishes, marine species, and microbes found in freshwater/brackish water environments.

Invasive Alien Species in Aquatic Ecosystems (56 Species)
S.No. Group Scientific name Common name
AQUATIC PLANTS (8 SPECIES)
1. Aquatic Plant Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. Alligator weed
2. Aquatic Plant Pontederia crassipes Mart. Water hyacinth
3. Aquatic Plant Ipomoea carnea Jacq. Pink morning glory
4. Aquatic Plant Lemna perpusilla Torr. Minute duckweed
5. Aquatic Plant Lythrum salicaria L. Purple loosestrife
6. Aquatic Plant Marsilea quadrifolia Common Water Clover
7. Aquatic Plant Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. Parrot’s feather
8. Aquatic Plant Salvinia auriculata Aubl (syn. S. molesta) Butterfly fern
INLAND FISHES (14 SPECIES)
9. Inland Fish Clarias gariepinus African catfish
10. Inland Fish Cyprinus carpio Common carp
11. Inland Fish Gambusia affinis Western Mosquito fish/ Topminnow
12. Inland Fish Gambusia holbrooki Eastern Mosquito fish
13. Inland Fish Mylopharyngodon piceus Black carp
14. Inland Fish Oreochromis mossambicus Mozambique tilapia
15. Inland Fish Oreochromis niloticus Nile tilapia
16. Inland Fish Poecillia reticulata Guppy
17. Inland Fish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus Vermiculated sailfin catfish
18. Inland Fish Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus Sucker mouth armored cat fish
19. Inland Fish Pterygoplichthys pardalis Amazon sailfin catfish
20. Inland Fish Pterygoplichthys anisitsi Paraná Sailfin Catfish
21. Inland Fish Pygocentrus nattereri Red Piranha
22. Inland Fish Aristichthys nobilis Bighead
MARINE SPECIES (19 SPECIES)
23. Marine Algae Kappaphycus alvarezii Elkhorn sea moss
24. Marine Algae Monostorma oxyspermum Seaweed
25. Marine Scyphozoa Phyllorhiza punctata (Lendenfield 1884) Phyllorhiza puncta Lendenfield, 1884
26. Marine Scyphozoa Pelagia noctiluca (Forsskal, 1775) Pelagia noctiluca Forsskal, 1775
27. Marine Anthozoa Carijoa riisei Snowflake coral / Branched pipe coral
28. Marine Anthozoa Tubastrea coccinea (Lesson, 1829) Orange soft coral
29. Marine Ctenophora Beroe ovata (Bruguiere, 1789)
30. Marine Ctenophora Beroe cucumis (Fabricius, 1780)
31. Marine Ctenophora Vallicula multiformis (Rankin, 1956)
32. Marine Bivalve Mytilopsis sallei (Recluz, 1849) Caribbean false mussel
33. Marine Bivalve Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)
34. Marine Hydrozoa Ectopleura crocea (Agassiz, 1862) Pink-mouth hydroid
35. Marine Polycheates Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) Australian tube worm
36. Marine Polycheates Lumrineris japonica (Marenzeller, 1879)
37. Marine Amphipods Jassa marmorata Holemes, 1905
38. Marine Decapods Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931
39. Marine Bryozoa Membranipora membranacea (Linnaeus, 1767) Coffin box
40. Marine Ascidian Microcosmus curvus (Tokioka, 1954) Scaly tunicate
41. Marine Ascidian Didemnum candidum Savigny, 1816
AQUATIC MICROBES (FRESHWATER/BRACKISH) (15 SPECIES)
42. Microbe (Fungus) Aphanomyces invadans
43. Microbe (Fungus) Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei
44. Microbe (Bacteria) Edwardsiella tarda
45. Microbe (Bacteria) Flavobacterium Sp
46. Microbe (Virus) White spot syndrome Virus (WSSV)
47. Microbe (Virus) Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoetic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV)
48. Microbe (Virus) Yellow head virus (YHV)
49. Microbe (Virus) Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV)
50. Microbe (Virus) Monodon Baculovirus (MBV)
51. Microbe (Virus) Hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV)
52. Microbe (Virus) Laem Singh Virus
53. Microbe (Virus) Carp edema virus
54. Microbe (Virus) Cyvirus cyprinidallo2
55. Microbe (Virus) Ranavirus
56. Microbe (Virus) Tilapia Lake virus

Agriculture Ecosystems

Invasive Alien Species in Agriculture Ecosystems (46 Listed Species)
S.No. Group Scientific name Common name
Fungus
1. Fungus Hemileia vastatrix Coffee rust
2. Fungus Phytophthora infestans Late blight of potato
3. Fungus Urocystis tritici Flag smut of wheat
4. Fungus Puccinia carthami Rust of chrysanthemum
5. Fungus Venturia inequalis Apple Scab
6. Fungus Plasmopara viticola Downey mildew of grapes
7. Fungus Peronosclerospora sacchari Downey mildew of maize
8. Fungus Magnaporthe grisea Blast of paddy
9. Fungus Fusarium verticillioides Foot rot of Rice
10. Fungus Phyllachora sacchari Leaf spot of sorghum
11. Fungus Oidium heavea Powdery mildew of rubber
12. Fungus Phytophthora nicotianae Tobacco black shank
13. Fungus Sphaeropsis spp. Canker of apple
14. Fungus Synchytrium endobioticum Potato wart
15. Fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp cubense (TR4) Fusarium wilt of Banana
16. Fungus Plasmopara halstedii Downey mildew of sunflower
Bacteria
17. Bacteria Xanthomonas campestris p.v. campestris Black rot of crucifers
18. Bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens Crown gall of apple/pear
19. Bacteria Rhizobium rhizogenes Hairy root of apple/pear
20. Bacteria Erwinia amylovora Fire blight of pear
21. Bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae p.v. oryzae Bacterial leaf blight of paddy
Virus
22. Virus Banana Bunchy Top Virus (Babu virus) Banana bunchy top
23. Virus Sunflower necrosis illar virus Sunflower necrosis
24. Virus Peanut stripe virus Bud necrosis
Nematode
25. Nematode Globodera rostochiensis Potato golden nematode
Invasive Insects
26. Insect/Mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer Coconut eriophyid mite
27. Insect Aleurodicus dispersus Russell Spiralling white fly
28. Insect Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin Rugose spiraling whitefly
29. Insect Bemisia tabaci Gennadius Silver leaf whitefly
30. Insect Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann) Woolly apple aphid
31. Insect Heteropsylla cubana Crawford Subabul psyllid
32. Insect Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari Coffee berry borer beetle
33. Insect Icerya purchasi Maskell Cottony cushion scale
34. Insect Leptocybe invasa (Fisher and Lasalle) Eucalyptus gall wasp/ Blue gum chalcid
35. Insect Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) American serpentine leaf miner
36. Insect Orthezia insignis Browne Lantana bug
37. Insect Paracoccus marginatus Williams & Granara de Willink Papaya mealybug
38. Insect Phenacoccus madeirensis Madeira mealybug
39. Insect Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley Cotton mealybug
40. Insect Plutella xylostella Linnaeus Diamond back moth
41. Insect Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel and Miller Banana mealybug
42. Insect Compstockaspis perniciosa (Constock) San Jose scale
43. Insect Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim Erythrina gall wasp
44. Insect Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) Tomato Pinworm
45. Insect Pineus pini (Macquart) Pine woolly aphid
46. Insect Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) Potato tuber moth

Island Ecosystems

Invasive Alien Species of Major Islands (14 Species)
S.No. Group Scientific name Common name
Insects
1. Insect Citripestis eutraphera Mango borer
2. Insect Anoplolepis gracilipes yellow crazy ant
Cnidaria
1. Cnidaria Carijoa riisei Snowflake coral
Mollusca
1. Mollusca Lissachatina fulica Giant African Snail
Fishes
1. Fish Oreochromis mossambiscus Mozambique tilapia
2. Fish Heteropneustes fossilis Asian stinging catfish
Amphibian
1. Amphibian Hoplobatrachus tigerinus Indian bullfrog
Reptile
1. Reptile Calotes versicolor Garden lizard
Birds
1. Bird Acridotheres tristis Common Myna
2. Bird Passer domesticus House sparrow
Mammals
1. Mammal Axis axis Chital/Spotted deer
2. Mammal Axis porcinus Indian Hog deer
3. Mammal Muntiacus muntjak Indian muntjac
4. Mammal Elephas maximus Asian elephant

References

  1. ^ S.Sandilyan (2018). "Invasive Alien Species Of India" (PDF). website. Tharamani, Chennai: National Biodiversity Authority: 22. Wikidata Q136375232.
  2. ^ Sajeev TV; K V Sankaran; T A Suresh (2012), Handbook on Invasive Plants of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Wikidata Q136346207
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