Invertebrates form the bulk of the animal biomass on Earth, and diverse invertebrate communities are crucial for maintaining the structure and function of ecosystems globally. However, centuries of human commerce and movements have also introduced manifold organisms – including many invertebrate species – into non-native regions worldwide.

Current knowledge of the impacts of alien invertebrates on native biodiversity and ecosystems remains limited to several well-studied taxa and geographic regions. Indeed, the impacts of alien invertebrate species has been highlighted as an understudied research topic in the recent IPBES alien species assessment (https://www.ipbes.net/ias). In particular, the potential of alien invertebrates to drive extinctions of native species, the mechanisms by which such impacts unfold, and the consequences for ecosystem functioning are poorly understood.

There is also a significant gap in our understanding of how native invertebrate species, in particular, respond to biological invasions, which are generally recognised as a driver of species extinctions globally. Given mounting evidence of insect declines occurring in multiple regions worldwide, there is an urgent need to understand the role of biological invasions in driving declines and extinctions of invertebrate species.

With this special issue we aim to advance understanding of both of these topics. We call for articles (empirical and theoretical studies, reviews and opinions) that focus on: (i) impacts on native species that are caused by alien invertebrates, and (ii) impacts on native invertebrates that are caused by alien species (including non-invertebrate alien species).

These articles must clearly fit the scope of the journal by directly focussing on extinction – please refer to this editorial for guidance.

For further information, or to discuss the suitability of a research proposal, please contact Thomas Evans (thomas.evans@fu-berlin.de).