Spatial and temporal patterns of Lecane decipiens (Aim Lecane decipiens (Murray, 1913) was originally described from samples collected at a small lake in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is widely recorded in Central and South America, although the species has been found on other continents. L. decipiens is easily misidentified with other species of the same genus, differentiated only by small details on the lorica, a historical problem in the species occurrence records. This study aims to provide an update on the occurrence of L. decipiens worldwide, investigating its distribution and its potential to be considered cosmopolitan in the tropics and subtropics and invasive in temperate regions, as well as identifying gaps in current knowledge about the species.
Methods This study was conducted through a bibliographic survey in scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar).
Results After screening and removing duplicates, 84 articles published between 1931 and 2025 were analyzed. The results indicate that L. decipiens can be considered as a cosmopolitan species, accumulating records in seven of the biogeographic regions, with a particular predominance in the countries India and Brazil, where the largest concentration of articles was found. Most studies were conducted in lakes and rivers, and only one article addressed the species' potential ecological impact, considering its negative influence negligible. Additionally, most studies focused on occurrence records rather than ecological interactions or population dynamics.
Conclusions Despite the widespread distribution of L. decipiens, the lack of articles on population densities, environmental interactions, and ecological effects hinders the determination of whether the species’ presence outside its original range is due to natural expansion or a silent invasion.
Keywords:
Rotifera; Lecanidae; distribution; silent invasion
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