Overlooked and underestimated: reframing restoration to include inconspicuous native invaders

Anthropogenic changes cause some native species to increase in abundance or distribution. These hyperabundant natives, native invaders, follow the same ecological ‘rules’ as exotic invasives and can have comparable impacts. However, their management is a relatively new challenge in restoration ecology, with most frameworks operating within a native‐exotic dichotomy. Identification of native invaders is affected by unconscious biases, with large charismatic species overrepresented, while inconspicuous, but ecologically significant taxa, are overlooked. We illustrate this issue using the globally invasive New Zealand mud snail (NZMS; Potamopyrgus antipodarum ) in its native range, where they have traditionally been omitted from conservation and restoration conversations. We found increases in their relative abundance and site occupation, suggesting that NZMS are emerging as a native invader. Given their potential for ecological dominance and restoration‐resistance, on‐the‐ground solutions will involve addressing the anthropogenic changes that facilitate their proliferation and targeting the NZMS‐induced biotic resistance, which jeopardizes restoration success. This exemplifies a required strategic shift towards managing an organism's impacts on people, biodiversity, and ecosystem function, rather than their origin. Ultimately, to achieve more effective restoration outcomes, policies, and practices must move beyond the traditional native/exotic distinction, fostering a broader understanding of ecological impacts and the role of native invaders like NZMS, while raising awareness and normalizing this concept in conservation and restoration efforts.