Cerceris antipodes

From October to April these bright yellow faces are my constant companions. The females overwinter as adults and set to renovating and stocking their nest burrows whenever weather allows.

Cerceris antipodes

At 8mm, male Cerceris are slightly smaller than the females but from mid summer they are more commonly seen, patrolling the nest mounds looking for an opportunity to mate.

Cerceris antipodes

Until last month, I didn’t know where the males spent the night. Now I do … tucked away in the cracks or borer holes of old wood. In good weather, this little male gets out and about. But by day’s end he is always tucked in, with just his face visible to me as I pass by. He’s not alone. There’s a second male next door, in an adjacent crevice.