Tips for using iNaturalist
Photo: David Clode
Accordion Content
If you use a camera rather than your phone to take photos you can also use the web-browser version of iNaturalist and upload your photos using your desktop computer.
It’s best to ID your bug as broadly as possible so experts have a good chance of finding and identifying your bug photo. Eg. you don’t need to know the species, genus or family at all! If it’s a butterfly, just write butterfly, if it’s an ant, just write ant. If you’re not sure, have a guess and an expert will come and help you out.
There is also an image recognition option where the app will guess what you’ve got for you, this is useful for narrowing in your guesses. If the app suggests a species of Cicada you can select that suggestion, or you could note that suggestion and just write Cicada, then experts will narrow down on the species for you.
Multiple photos from different angles will maximize the chances of capturing important identifying features.
When you create your iNaturalist account make sure you tick the box that says ‘Yes, license my content so scientists can use the data’. No personal data is shared, only your bug images and the date and location you took them.