Life in the City
With its tall buildings, crowded roads, and noisy cars, the city may not seem like a place where you can find biodiversity. But you can! Thousands of species thrive in cities, from tiny mites to mighty trees.
Take a look at a city park to see a different slice of city life. Get a close-up look at 10 hidden critters!
![Illustration of life in a city park](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/city-park-scene/5002106-2-eng-US/city-park-scene_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/city-park-scene/5002106-2-eng-US/city-park-scene_full_990.jpg 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/city-park-scene/5002106-2-eng-US/city-park-scene_full_1468.jpg 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/city-park-scene/5002106-2-eng-US/city-park-scene_full_1980.jpg 1800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/city-park-scene/5002106-2-eng-US/city-park-scene_full_2475.jpg 1800w)
![closeup of mites, nematode worm and a springtail](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_leafmitesworms/5002194-3-eng-US/bubble_leafmitesworms_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_leafmitesworms/5002194-3-eng-US/bubble_leafmitesworms_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_leafmitesworms/5002194-3-eng-US/bubble_leafmitesworms_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_leafmitesworms/5002194-3-eng-US/bubble_leafmitesworms_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_leafmitesworms/5002194-3-eng-US/bubble_leafmitesworms_full_2475.png 304w)
On a dead leaf, some mites eat nematode worms; springtails leap to avoid predators.
![an ant protecting an aphid](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_ants/5002182-4-eng-US/bubble_ants_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_ants/5002182-4-eng-US/bubble_ants_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_ants/5002182-4-eng-US/bubble_ants_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_ants/5002182-4-eng-US/bubble_ants_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_ants/5002182-4-eng-US/bubble_ants_full_2475.png 304w)
Ants protect aphids in exchange for sweet secretions.
![channels chewed into wood by a bark beetle](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_barkbeetlelarva/5002186-3-eng-US/bubble_barkbeetlelarva_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_barkbeetlelarva/5002186-3-eng-US/bubble_barkbeetlelarva_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_barkbeetlelarva/5002186-3-eng-US/bubble_barkbeetlelarva_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_barkbeetlelarva/5002186-3-eng-US/bubble_barkbeetlelarva_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_barkbeetlelarva/5002186-3-eng-US/bubble_barkbeetlelarva_full_2475.png 304w)
Bark beetle larvae chew "galleries" into wood.
![dragonfly nymph capturing a small fish](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_dragonflynymph/5002190-3-eng-US/bubble_dragonflynymph_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_dragonflynymph/5002190-3-eng-US/bubble_dragonflynymph_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_dragonflynymph/5002190-3-eng-US/bubble_dragonflynymph_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_dragonflynymph/5002190-3-eng-US/bubble_dragonflynymph_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_dragonflynymph/5002190-3-eng-US/bubble_dragonflynymph_full_2475.png 304w)
A dragonfly nymph's "mouth" shoots out to catch prey.
![group of mosquito eggs](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquitoeggs/5002202-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquitoeggs_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquitoeggs/5002202-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquitoeggs_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquitoeggs/5002202-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquitoeggs_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquitoeggs/5002202-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquitoeggs_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquitoeggs/5002202-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquitoeggs_full_2475.png 304w)
Mosquito eggs float like a raft.
![close up of a mosquito and a feather mite near the eyeball of the great blue heron](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquito_feathermites/5002198-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquito_feathermites_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquito_feathermites/5002198-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquito_feathermites_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquito_feathermites/5002198-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquito_feathermites_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquito_feathermites/5002198-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquito_feathermites_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_mosquito_feathermites/5002198-1-eng-US/bubble_mosquito_feathermites_full_2475.png 304w)
On birds like the great blue heron, mosquitoes and feather mites are parasites.
![a pseudoscorpion hitching a ride](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_pseudoscorpions/5002210-1-eng-US/bubble_pseudoscorpions_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_pseudoscorpions/5002210-1-eng-US/bubble_pseudoscorpions_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_pseudoscorpions/5002210-1-eng-US/bubble_pseudoscorpions_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_pseudoscorpions/5002210-1-eng-US/bubble_pseudoscorpions_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_pseudoscorpions/5002210-1-eng-US/bubble_pseudoscorpions_full_2475.png 304w)
Pseudoscorpions often hitch rides on larger animals like the harvestman.
![inset illustration closeup of protist inside termite queen](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_protistinsidetermite/5011991-1-eng-US/bubble_protistinsidetermite_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_protistinsidetermite/5011991-1-eng-US/bubble_protistinsidetermite_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_protistinsidetermite/5011991-1-eng-US/bubble_protistinsidetermite_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_protistinsidetermite/5011991-1-eng-US/bubble_protistinsidetermite_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_protistinsidetermite/5011991-1-eng-US/bubble_protistinsidetermite_full_2475.png 304w)
A one-celled protist digests wood inside the gut of a termite; wood-eating termites tend to their queen.
A one-celled protist digests wood inside the gut of a termite while wood-eating termites tend to their queen.
![an ichneumonid wasp laying eggs on a beetle grub](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_waspsgrubs/5002214-1-eng-US/bubble_waspsgrubs_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_waspsgrubs/5002214-1-eng-US/bubble_waspsgrubs_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_waspsgrubs/5002214-1-eng-US/bubble_waspsgrubs_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_waspsgrubs/5002214-1-eng-US/bubble_waspsgrubs_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_waspsgrubs/5002214-1-eng-US/bubble_waspsgrubs_full_2475.png 304w)
Some ichneumonid wasps lay eggs on beetle grubs.
![long-jawed orb weaver sitting in its web](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_orbweaver/5002206-1-eng-US/bubble_orbweaver_full_495.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_orbweaver/5002206-1-eng-US/bubble_orbweaver_full_990.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_orbweaver/5002206-1-eng-US/bubble_orbweaver_full_1468.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_orbweaver/5002206-1-eng-US/bubble_orbweaver_full_1980.png 304w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/biodiversity/life-in-the-city/bubble_orbweaver/5002206-1-eng-US/bubble_orbweaver_full_2475.png 304w)
The long-jawed orb weaver is a sit-and-wait predator.
Image Credits:
illustrations by Barrett Klein/© AMNH