Leafwalker
Guides
Xylota quadrimaculata
Four-spotted Leafwalker
A common species of syrphid fly found in central and eastern North America. Adults are 8.2–11.3 mm long, black with distinctive yellow-orange spots on the abdomen. Unlike most flower flies, adults rarely visit flowers, instead feeding on pollen from leaf surfaces. The larvae develop in rotting wood under bark in sap runs.