Xylota tarda is a Palearctic species of hoverfly.Fauna Europaea
Description Wing length 5·5-8·5 mm. Large red areas on black abdomen. Wing membrane not infuscated. Dorso-apical white bristle on metatarsus 1. Antero-dorsal pale hairs on the basal half of femur 3 uniform not longer than 1/4 the depth of femur. The male genitalia are figured by Hippa (1968).Hippa, H. (1968) Classification of the palaearctic species of the genera Xylota Meigen and Xylotomima Shannon (Dipt., Syrphidae). Ann.Ent.Fenn., 34: 179-197. The larva is illustrated in colour by Rotheray (1994) ).Rotheray G., 1993 Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae Diptera, Syrphidae in Britain and Europe Dipterists Forum pdf
See references for determination (but see Speight for contradiction)Van der Goot, V.S. (1981) De zweefvliegen van Noordwest - Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder van de Benelux. KNNV, Uitgave no.32: 275pp. Amsterdam.Bei-Bienko, G.Y. & Steyskal, G.C. (1988) Keys to the Insects of the European Part of the USSR, Volume V: Diptera and Siphonaptera, Part I. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi. .Coe, R.L. (1953) Diptera: Syrphidae. Handbks.ident.Br.insects, 10(1): 1-98. R.ent.Soc.London. pdf
Distribution Xylota tarda is found across the Palearctic and Fennoscandia regions.
Spain, Northern Italy (Apennines) Slovenia. Ireland East through Central Europe into European Russia and the Caucasus then through Russia to Siberia and the Pacific coast (Kuril islands).
Biology Old woodland species running on the foliage of bushes and shrubs and on tree stumps and nearby bare ground. The larva has been found in sap runs at the base of the trunk of Populus tremula and in rotting wood of Fagus.
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External images For terms see Morphology of Diptera