Citizen science meets Myrmecology: a systematic review of iNaturalist’s contribution to ant research

Citizen science platforms have rapidly expanded biodiversity data collection, but their integration into peer-reviewed research remains limited. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a globally widespread and ecologically key taxon, provide an ideal case study to examine this gap, although present particular challenges for photo-based identification due to their small size, morphological similarity within genus (especially in the tropical areas), and geographic differences in the use of the platforms (given by differences in user’s cultures and languages). Among the available citizen science platforms, iNaturalist stands out for its global reach and now hosts over 1.5 million observations classified within Formicidae, offering unprecedented opportunities for ecological, biogeographic, and taxonomic studies. This study provides the first systematic review of how iNaturalist data have been used in ant research. A total of 34 studies published between 2017 and August 2025 were identified, showing a steady rise in output that peaked in 2024. Nearly half (41.2%) of these were authored by the same researcher, reflecting the field’s narrow authorship base. Most studies were geographically restricted to the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and typically focused on one or few species, often relying on very limited datasets of observations. Species distribution and range accounted for 97.1% of research topics, while applications to biodiversity assessment, ecological interactions, or taxonomy remained rare. iNaturalist data were generally used as a minor or secondary source, with traceability absent in 50% of studies and explicit verification of identifications reported in only 35.3%. Common limitations included potential misidentifications, uneven data quality, and strong taxonomic and geographic biases favoring conspicuous or exotic species. Overall, approximately 1,400 iNaturalist ant observations—representing only ~0.09% of the platform’s available records—have been incorporated into published studies, underscoring the platform’s underuse and the justified caution of researchers when dealing with citizen-identified data. To unlock the full value of citizen science in myrmecology, future work should strengthen expert validation, expand coverage to tropical and native faunas and improve record traceability.