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We need your help to stop the spread of invasive species! Please report any new sightings of the following key invasive species. If possible, take a picture of the plant or pest and record its GPS location.

	Giant African Land Snail Lissachatina fulica A large terrestrial snail that can reach up to 8 inches in length and nearly 5 inches in diameter. The brownish shell covers at least half the length of the snail. Damages native plants and crops. Scientists consider the giant African snail to be one...

	Zebra Mussels Dreissena polymorpha The zebra mussel is a highly invasive aquatic species that multiplies rapidly and can cause tremendous environmental and economic damage. This bivalve mollusk, originally from the Balkans, Poland and the former Soviet Union, has become established in...

	Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis In infested areas, this beetle has killed millions of ash trees and has led to major efforts by state and local officials to limit its spread through strict quarantines and fines for the movement of wood, especially firewood, out of infested areas. T...

	Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Giant Hogweed is an aggressive competitor. Because of its size and rapid growth, it out-competes native plant species, reducing the amount of suitable habitat available for wildlife. Giant Hogweed dies back during the winter months, leaving bare grou...

	Cactus Moth Cactoblastis cactorum CACTORUM Cactus moth larvae live and feed communally inside the pads of prickly pear cacti. Damaged pads will show characteristic oozing of internal plant juices and insect droppings.

	Tropical soda apple Solanum viarum Upright and thorny perennial shrub, 3 to 6 feet in height. Tropical soda apple is on the Federal Noxious Weed List. It reduces biological diversity in natural areas by displacing native plants and disrupting ecological integrity. This invader also se...

	Asian Longhorned Beetle Anoplophora glabripennis This insect is a serious threat to many species of deciduous hardwood trees in the United States (e.g., maple, elm, willow, birch, horsechestnut, and poplar). During its larval stage, the ALB bores deep into a tree's heartwood, where it feeds on nutr...

	Onionweed Asphodelus fistulosis Similar in appearance to wild onion but lacking the onion scent and taste. Found in pastures and rangeland, onionweed develops populations that exclude grasses and desirable forage species. This federally regulated weed poses a serious environmental ...

	Sirex Woodwasp Sirex noctilio This woodwasp was introduced inadvertently into New Zealand, Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa. In these Southern Hemisphere countries, sirex woodwasp attacks exotic pine plantations, and it has caused up to 80 percent tr...

	Tropical Spiderwort Commelina benghalensis Tropical spiderwort forms, dense, pure stands, smothering out other plants, especially low-growing crops. It has been reported recently as a problem in cotton in Alabama. In pastures, it grows rapidly over desirable grasses and legumes, competing wit...

	Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar If established in the United States, each AGM female could lay egg masses that in turn could yield hundreds of voracious caterpillars with appetites for more than 500 species of trees and shrubs. AGM defoliation would severely weaken trees and shrubs...

	Cogongrass Imperata cylindrica Cogongrass has been ranked as one of the ten worst weeds of the world. It can invade and overtake disturbed ecosystems, forming a dense mat that makes it nearly impossible for other plants to coexist. Large infestations can alter the normal fire reg...

	Brown Fir Longhorned Beetle Callidiellum villosulum Attacks trees in the Taxodiaceae. North American examples include the sequoia, redwood, and bald cypress. Due to the geographic isolation of some species, especially the sequoias, an infestation of these beetles could be especially dangerous. The Bro...

	Giant Salvinia Salvinia molesta Giant salvinia is currently one of the most dangerous invasive aquatic plants in Texas. It damages aquatic ecosystems by outgrowing and replacing native plants that provide food and habitat for native animals and waterfowl.

	Soapberry Borer Agrilus prionurus Soapberry borers are rapidly killing soapberry trees throughout their range. Infested trees can be easily recognized by the exposed sapwood that results when birds and squirrels chip off the bark to feed on the larvae. Bark chips accumulate at the ba...

	Japanese climbing fern Lygodium japonicum Japanese climbing fern is an invasive climbing fern that is changing the landscape of East Texas. Introduced as an ornamental, it has escaped and is now rapidly spreading across the forested areas of Eastern Texas smothering native trees and shrubs....

	Rasberry Crazy Ant Nylanderia sp. nr. pubens Suspect Rasberry crazy ants if you see a lot of ants with the appearance of many millions of uniformly-sized 1/8 inch long, reddish-brown ants in the landscape. Please report any situations where the crazy ants are affecting wildlife or agricultural ...

Join a Citizen Scientist Program

Working out in the field can be a very rewarding way to combat invasive species. Whether you are collecting scientific data to be used by local, state, or national agencies and organizations or actually helping get rid of the invasive plants and animals, you will be able to see up close and personal the impacts of invasive species and the results of your efforts.Go to our Citizen Scientist Page.