Who’s buzzing here?
The campus is already home to a wide variety of bees and other insects, which we would like to present here as examples.
Copyright: Cristina Krippahl (all images below)
Blood bee
Sphecodes sp.
Blood bees are a special phenomenon in the world of bees. They are not very hairy and stand out due to their reddish-brown to blood-red abdomen - hence their name.
There are around 30 different species of blood bee in Central Europe, 25 of which have been recorded in Germany. Depending on the species, their size varies between a dainty 4 mm and up to 15 mm.
However, it is not only the visual appearance of the blood bee that is special, but also its way of life: It belongs to the cuckoo bee family. This means that they do not build their own nests, but lay their eggs in the brood cells of other bee species.
Sources:
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild Bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Niebel-Lohmann, A. K. (2025). Supporting wild bees in a species-appropriate way (1st edition). Haupt.
Horned mason bee (female)
Osmia cornuta
With its above-average size of 10 to 15 mm, the horned mason bee is a truly striking wild bee. It is easily recognized by its two-coloured markings and horned head shield.
It uses various cavities for nesting, such as cracks in walls or abandoned nests of other insects. It uses mineral material (e.g. moist soil) to build several consecutive brood cells, which it carefully seals.
Horned mason bees are one of the few wild bees that can be supported by artificial nesting aids. Bamboo tubes with an internal diameter of 8 to 10 mm are particularly suitable. Further tips on building nesting aids can be found here: https://www.bund.net/service/publikationen/detail/publication/vielfalt-sorgt-fuer-vielfalt/
However, it is even more important to plant suitable food sources. Willows, red clover, white clover or larkspur are particularly suitable here.
Sources:
Umweltbundesamt. (06.03.2019). Wild bees. Retrieved from https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/wildbienen#verhalten. Accessed on 04.06.2025
NABU Leipzig. (undated). Seen a mason bee? Retrieved from https://www.nabu-leipzig.de/aktuelles/natur-co-rona/mauerbiene/. Accessed 05.06.2025
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Niebel-Lohmann, A. K. (2025). Supporting wild bees in a species-appropriate way (1st edition). Haupt
Common narrow bee
Lasioglossum calceatum
With a size of 8 to 10 mm, the common narrow bee is one of the rather inconspicuous wild bee species. It has a black body with light cross bands and is indistinguishable from other Lasioglossum species in the field.
What makes it special is its way of life: It maintains a eusocial lifestyle. This means that it lives together in a real insect colony. Several generations of bees work together to care for the brood, share foraging tasks and organize their daily lives together.
This bee species can be found in a variety of places: it feels at home in both dry, warm locations and cool, humid ones.
Sources:
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Wildbienen.de. (n.d.). Furrow bees or narrow bees: Lasioglossum calceatum. Retrieved from https://www.wildbienen.de/eb-lcalc.htm. Accessed on 05.06.2025
Gray sand bee (female)
Andrena cineraria
The females of the gray sand bee are already on the move from mid-March. They can be recognized by their predominantly black hairy body, which is adorned with a broad, light grey cross band on the back of the breast. With a size of 13 to 14 mm, the females are somewhat larger and more robustly built than the males.
As a typical representative of the sand bees(Andrena), the grey sand bee lives solitarily. This means that each female is responsible for building her own nest and caring for her offspring. They prefer to dig their nests on sparsely vegetated ground in sometimes large colonies. The individual brood tubes reach up to 25 cm deep into the ground.
The grey sand bee collects pollen and nectar from various plant species, such as dandelions, willows and rapeseed.
Sources
Niebel-Lohmann, A. K. (2025). Supporting wild bees in a species-appropriate way (1st edition). Haupt
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Blühende Landschaft. (n.d.). Gray sand bee. Retrieved from https://bluehende-landschaft.de/insekt/graue-sandbiene/. Accessed on 02.06.2025
Red mason bee (male)
Osmia bicornis
The red mason bee is a special wild bee that is active from as early as March. Unlike honey bees, it lives a solitary life, meaning that the females take care of finding nesting sites, building nests and caring for their larvae on their own.
It is easily recognizable by the rusty or fox-red hairs on its thorax. Females also have two small "horns" on their face - hence the name bicornis, which means "two-horned". It grows to around 8 to 13 mm in size.
It prefers existing cavities such as old dead wood, steep walls or cracks in the ground for nesting.
The red mason bee makes few demands on its habitat. It is therefore not only found in forests with lots of dead wood, but also frequently in gardens and parks.
It is completely harmless and hardly ever stings. At the same time, it is a hard-working pollinator - especially for fruit trees and other early-flowering plants. If you want to help them, you can set up nesting aids and plant bee-friendly flowers. Further information on suitable plants can be found here: Helping wild bees: Tips for colonizing & feeding
Sources:
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Niebel-Lohmann, A. K. (2025). Supporting wild bees in a species-appropriate way (1st edition). Main
NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.). (29.11.2018). Insect of the year 2019: the rusty mason bee. Retrieved from https://www.nabu.de/news/2018/11/25571.html. Accessed on 02.06.2025
Red-crested sand bee (female)
Andrena haemorrhoa
The red-crested sand bee is easily recognized by its conspicuously hairy thorax, which forms a nice contrast to the otherwise black hairy body. The males reach a size of 8 to 11 mm, making them somewhat smaller than the females, which measure 10 to 12 mm.
Like most sand bees, the red-crested sand bee also lives solitarily. This means that each female takes care of building her nest and rearing her larvae independently.
When searching for food, red-crested sand bees are not very picky and use various pollen sources, such as daffodils, daisies or willow plants.
Sources:
Wiesbauer, H. (2023). Wild bees (expanded and updated edition). Ulmer.
Niebel-Lohmann, A. K. (2025). Supporting wild bees in a species-appropriate way (1st edition). Haupt
Stilt midge (without German name)
Dicranomyiamorio
Stilt midges can be recognized above all by their strikingly slender physique and very long legs. At first glance, they resemble gnats because of their long legs, but they belong to a family of their own. Adult stilt midges reach a size of around 10 to 30 mm.
The larvae of stilt midges differ greatly in their way of life: while some species develop their larvae in water, others live in moist soil and feed on plant matter or roots. The adults are mainly active at dusk and at night.
Although wading midges are sometimes confused with biting midges, they are completely harmless to humans: they do not bite and do not transmit diseases.
Sources:
Spektrum der Wissenschaft. (n.d.). Stilt midges. Retrieved from https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/biologie/stelzmuecken/63595. Accessed on 01.07.2025
Naturspektrum. (n.d.). Pedicia rivosa - wading mosquito. Retrieved from https://naturspektrum.de/db/spezies.php?art=pedicia_rivosa. Accessed on 01.07.2025
Korschefsky, M. (2023). The wading midge Pedicia rivosa in the ecosystem. In: Ferrantia, 69, 268-275. Available at https://ps.mnhn.lu/ferrantia/publications/Ferrantia69/Ferrantia69%20268-275.pdf. Accessed on 01.07.2025
Large early fathead fly
Myopa testacea
The large early fathead fly belongs to the family of bladderhead flies and is relatively compact with a body length of around 6 to 11 mm. While the face and cheeks are red, the pronotum is black and the wings have a yellow-brown tint. Its broad head is characteristic, which gives it the name "thick-headed fly".
The flies are mainly active from April to July and feed on nectar. They prefer to be found in flower-rich habitats such as forest edges, meadows and gardens.
The females lay their eggs directly on host animals such as bumblebees or wasps, where the larvae then develop in the host's body.
Sources:
Biologie-Seite.de (undated). Bubble head flies. Retrieved from https://www.biologie-seite.de/Biologie/Blasenkopffliegen. Accessed on 01.07.2025
Insektenbox.de (n. d.). Bubble head flies (Conopidae). Retrieved from http://www.insektenbox.de/zweifl/bucfli.htm. Accessed on 01.07.2025
Wood hoverfly (larva)
Episyrphus balteatus
Despite its inconspicuous appearance, the larva of a hoverfly is a real beneficial insect in the garden: it feeds on aphids, spider mites and other small insects and thus makes an important contribution to natural pest control. Visually, the larvae resemble small caterpillars with their slightly whitish to brownish coloring.
Adult hoverflies stand out due to their yellow-black coloring on the abdomen, which is reminiscent of wasps. This visual resemblance is intended to deter predators, as the hoverfly itself is completely harmless and has no sting.
As adult hoverflies feed mainly on nectar and pollen, they are one of our most important pollinators alongside bees. Thanks to their large numbers and widespread distribution, they contribute to the reliable pollination of many wild and crop plants - including in gardens, parks and urban green spaces. Dandelion, marigold and peppermint flowers, for example, are particularly popular, as is flowering parsley.
Sources:
NABU - Naturschutzbund Deutschland. (n.d.). Flies & mosquitoes - hoverflies. Retrieved from https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/insekten-und-spinnen/fliegen-und-muecken/24296.html. Accessed on 01.07.2025
NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.). (n.d.). Grove hoverfly. In Insect trainer. Retrieved from https://insektentrainer.nabu.de/insekt/hainschwebfliege/. Accessed on 01.07.2025
NABU - Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany. (undated). Hoverflies - Important pollinators. Retrieved from https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/insekten-und-spinnen/fliegen-und-muecken/08292.html. Accessed on 01.07.2025