Título:	Perceptions and awareness of invasive species in the Brazilian Federal District : implications for controlling the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica)
Autor(es):	Patiño Montoya, Angie Fonsêca, Gabriel Marins Ramos Rodrigues Nomiyama, Thiago Silvestre Tidon, Rosana
ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3309-2346 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3610-4832 https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2684-0779
Afiliação do autor:	Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Universidad del Valle, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Animal, Santiago de Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Instituto de Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Hídricos do Distrito Federal – Brasília Ambiental, Setor de Fauna Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia
Assunto:	Invasões biológicas - Distrito Federal (Brasil) Espécies exóticas invasoras Participação comunitária Educação ambiental Caramujo-gigante-africano Percepção ambiental
Data de publicação:	4-Nov-2025
Editora:	Pensoft
Referência:	PATIÑO MONTOYA, Angie et al. Perceptions and awareness of invasive species in the Brazilian Federal District: implications for controlling the giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica). Neobiota, v. 103, 325-337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/ neobiota.103.156013. Disponível em: https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/156013/. Acesso em: 3 jun. 2026.
Abstract:	The giant African snail (Lissachatina fulica) is among the world’s most damaging invasive species, threatening biodiversity, agriculture, and public health. Effective management requires understand ing public perceptions, awareness, and engagement, yet sociodemographic drivers of these remain un derstudied. Here, we evaluate how education, age, and awareness influence attitudes toward L. fulica and its management in the Brazilian Federal District. Using structured questionnaires from 613 re spondents, we assessed: (1) sociodemographic correlates of perceived knowledge on invasive species, (2) public perceptions and attitudes of invasive species in general and specifically towards L. fulica, and (3) evaluation of trust in governmental communication and management efforts. Older and more educated individuals exhibited significantly greater awareness of invasive species and L. fulica specifically. However, while higher awareness predicted more negative perceptions of the snail, it did not correlate with proactive control behaviors. Public satisfaction with government management efforts was strongly tied to self-reported knowledge of the snail’s impacts, highlighting a gap between awareness and actionable responses. Our results underscore the need for targeted outreach programs prioritizing younger and less-educated demographics. We propose that generalized education on bi ological invasions can bolster the success of species-specific campaigns. These insights are critical for designing inclusive policies that enhance community participation in L. fulica management, offering a model for engagement in regions facing similar invasion challenges.
Unidade Acadêmica:	Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (IB) Departamento de Ecologia (IB ECL) Departamento de Genética e Morfologia (IB GEM)
Programa de pós-graduação:	Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia
Licença:	This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International – CC BY 4.0).
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.3897/ neobiota.103.156013
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