Using citizen science as a research prioritization tool to detect co‐occurrences of the invasive species <i>Harmonia axyridis</i>

Abstract Invasive species impact native ecosystems through associations with local biota; however, these co‐occurrences and potential interactions remain poorly understood, particularly for small organisms like insects. Citizen science provides a valuable tool, providing broad spatial and temporal coverage to facilitate the observation of species co‐occurrences. Our aim was, using citizen science records, to detect co‐occurrences and potential novel interactions between the invasive ladybird Harmonia axyridis and local biota (plants, arthropods and fungi) in Argentina. Over 50% of the photos showed H. axyridis in association with another species, mainly from the plant families Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae and the arthropod families Aphididae and Coccinellidae. In addition, we report potential novel interactions including predation, parasitism, interspecific mating and mixed aggregations with local biota that have not been previously documented in Argentina, providing new insights into possible ecological impacts of this invasive ladybird. Our findings highlight how citizen science can be used as a research prioritization tool for invasive species research, revealing species co‐occurrences and also uncovering potential novel interactions between invasive species and local taxa across large spatial and temporal scales.