<p>The use of surrogate taxonomic resolutions has emerged as an effective strategy to overcome logistical and financial constraints in biodiversity assessments, particularly in urban environments where human presence often hinders fieldwork. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and associated costs of four surrogate resolutions: subfamily, genus, indicator taxa, and a “mixed-level” approach, in predicting ant species richness and community composition in urban green spaces, as well as the ecological responses of these surrogates. The “mixed-level” approach consists of identifying only indicator genera to the species level, while all remaining taxa are identified only to the genus level. Ant assemblages were sampled at 62 points across the city of Salvador, Brazil, encompassing four distinct urban green space types: forest fragments, public squares, road median strips, and vacant lots. Two standardized collection methods were employed: Baitline for the vegetation stratum and Winkler extraction for the leaf litter. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the correlation between each surrogate taxonomic resolution and species-level data, as well as to examine the influence of sampling method, ecological patterns, and associated financial costs. The mixed-level approach most accurately reflected species-level patterns of richness and composition, whereas the genus-level resolution provided the best cost–benefit balance. Our findings highlight the value of surrogate taxonomic resolutions as strategic tools for biodiversity assessments in urban environments.</p>