An orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus) on a pavement in Berlin, GermanyCourtesy Sophie Lokatis, Freie Universität Berlin
Urban pavements can prove unlikely havens for wild bees and other insects, a survey on the streets of Berlin suggests.
Sophie Lokatis at the Free University of Berlin and her colleagues explored 200-metre-long sections of pavement at 12 locations in the German city. They recorded insect nest locations and collected individuals found at the entrance to nests, crawling on the pavement or flying within a metre of the ground. They also analysed soil from nests using DNA sequencing techniques.