"We are very pleased that we have found some new species for Styria, but also some that were thought to be extinct, such as the crow's-foot plantain," reports organizer Gernot Kunz from the Institute of Biology at the University of Graz. The leaf beetle Pachybrachis fimbriolatus, which had not been observed since 1950, and the shield beetle Cassida aurora, which was last seen in 1973, were also rediscovered. Several tree fungi, wasps and beetles as well as the jumping spider Pseudeuophrys vafra have been recorded for the first time in Styria. "This is a southern species that may have been introduced unintentionally," suspects the biodiversity researcher. Kunz and his students contributed significantly to the documentation and identification of the animals, plants and fungi.
All discoveries are available online .
International call
The City Nature Challenge is an annual friendly competition between cities and regions around the world. Participants try to document as many wild animals, plants and fungi as possible. The uploaded specimens are identified and evaluated. Graz and the surrounding area took part for the fifth time this year. In 2025, the observation area will be extended to Murau and south-eastern Styria. All uploaded data records remain stored on the iNaturalist reporting platform and are available for nature conservation and scientific purposes.