We saw this in Buoux, Luberon, Provence. It attracted our attention by looking like a fluttering geometry lesson when flying. Owlflies are dragonfly-like insects and are neuropterans in the family Ascalaphidae; they are only distantly related to the true flies, and even more distant from the dragonflies and damselflies. They are diurnal or crepuscular predators of other flying insects, and are typically 5 cm (2.0 in) long.
not at home 