Based on submissions to iNaturalist from citizen scientists, the presence of the Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis), was confirmed for Louisiana in East Baton Rouge Parish. Use of citizen scientist platforms for sources of invertebrate taxa distributions is a powerful tool but requires caution because the records are typically not validated by physical voucher specimens that have been deposited in publicly accessible museums, and identification of many species is not possible by images alone. To demonstrate the usefulness of citizen scientist programs like iNaturalist, possible collection sites for Asian needle ant specimens were located. Specimens were collected, identified, and vouchers were deposited in the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum. The case study serves as an example of validation of the occurrence of non-native invasive species in new areas using citizen scientist observations on social media platforms.
Ashbrook et al. (Fri,) studied this question.