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Just east of Sidhirokastro, N. Greece. Alt = 235m. Could a be a male Asilus crabriformis - the pictures I have seen hardly do it justice if that is the case.

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I know there is an Asild forum, but it is such a magnificent fly.

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And a third view

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This splendid fly is Laphria dizonias Loew.

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Thanks Eric,
it was amazing to photograph it, it is over 3 cm long. I see it is not in the gallery, so I had better add it, that will mean putting you down as the determinator. :)

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Gordon: my sincere apologies, but I have misidentified this splendid fly! It is Laphria aurea Fabr., not L. dizonias. They differ mainly in the amount of yellow hair on the abdomen: aurea has the broad posterior margins of tergites 2 to 4, and all of 5 & 6, bright yellow; dizonias has all of the tergites red, save for 4 & 5, which are all bright yellow. In addition, aurea has the posterior surface of the head bright yellow pilose, while this area is black and red in dizonias.

My error became obvious to me when I compared a recent photo of a 'real' dizonias (from Turkey, # 31339) with your fly from Greece (both species occur in Greece and Turkey).

Eric

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I updated the ID's in the Gallery.

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Thanks to you both - it is good.;)