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Meyerson defines invasive species as "non-native species introduced either intentionally or accidentally by humans outside of their native range," while noting a crucial distinction between non-native but non-invasive species — tulips were imported to North America from Europe, for example, but do no ecological harm — and invasive ones.

Which nowadays makes it hard for them to compete for landscape space when our nursery shelves are brimming with eye-popping non-native plants with flowers so gaudy they look plastic.

Mr Housden said Bomber Harris - a non-native South American species - was likely a captive-bred bird that had lost its falconer.

While the Aedes vexans mosquito is native to Britain, he added that warming temperatures may bring non-native species to the UK and, with them, the potential of infectious disease.

Much of this rainforest lacks connectivity to similar habitats because it is surrounded by farms or woodlands planted with non-native species.