First inspection

Spring cinquefoil (Potentilla neumanniana)—Spring Cinquefoil (Potentilla neumanniana) forms large, splendid flower carpets on dry sites in spring. It also repeatedly flowers a second time in late summer.

Ground-Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)—The Ground-Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) grows on moist, nutrient-rich soils and then often forms dense flower carpets via offshoots. With its nectar, it is an important food source for many wild bees, especially bumblebees.

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites)—The low-competitive Rue-Leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites) lives on sandy and gravelly soils. It disappears when the plant cover becomes denser. Its seeds are long-lasting in the soil. If the soil is opened up again—for example by excavation work (also by rabbits)—the Rue-Leaved Saxifrage then reappears unexpectedly.

Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)—The peaceful, long-trunked Garden Bumblebee (Bom-bus hortorum) prefers to lay its nest in abandoned mouse nests in the ground, more rarely in abandoned bird nests. The queens, which are the only ones to survive the winter, appear from the beginning of March to the end of April, depending on the weather. The colony is rather small, with about 50 to 120 workers. While the queen lives about 1 year, a worker lives only about 6 weeks. 

Hump Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus)—The warmth-loving Hump Crab Spider (Thomisus onustus) does not build webs but lurks in flowers for its prey, which can be much larger than it-self. To camouflage itself, it adapts perfectly to the colour of the flower and is thus hardly visible.

Common Whitlowgrass (Draba verna)—The Common Whitlowgrass (Draba verna) is tiny and a typical inhabitant of open, dry, nutrient-poor habitats. The plant survives the summer heat and drought as a seed that sprouts in late autumn. In spring, it forms dense flower carpets of tiny plants that are only discovered when you take a closer look.

Small Waxflower (Cerinthe minor)—The Small Waxflower (Cerinthe minor) is a biennial. In the first year, it forms leaf rosettes with striking bluish-green, white spotted leaves. In the second year, it flowers, releases its seeds, and subsequently dies. 

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)—Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) occurs naturally in sparse woods or in parks under trees and in shady places. Its shiny yellow flowers act like a parabolic mirror and warm the inside of the flower by several degrees. Small insects, therefore, like to sit in the flowers in spring to warm themselves up. 

Dust Beetle (Opatrum sp.)—The Dust Beetle (Opatrum sp.) lives on the ground of dry and sunny open areas—including dry grassland. It feeds on dead plant remains and herbivore faeces, e.g., rabbit faeces, and helps to break them down. 

Violet of the Steppes (Viola ambigua)—A rarity in the dry grasslands of the Vienna Basin is the Violet of the Steppes (Viola ambigua). It lives on sandy and gravelly soils and needs a lot of light. Its seeds are spread by ants. 

Vineyard Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum)—The Vineyard Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum) is a typical spring bloomer on dry meadows and an important food plant for early flying wild bees. It survives the summer drought by means of a bulb. 

Shaggy Rose Beetle (Tropinota hirta)—The Shaggy Rose Beetle (Tropinota hirta) is heat-loving and endangered in Central Europe. The larvae eat decaying dead wood and turn it into humus.