The safflower skipper (Pyrgus carthami) is a species of skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae). Description The wingspan is 30–34 mm, the female being on average slightly larger than the male. This species is typical of the genus and it is the largest European Pyrgus. The upperside of the wings is greyish brown. On the upperside of the forewing there are a basal grey and white fringe of hair and variables quadrangular white patches, with a cell spot in the form of a Greek capital sigma (Σ). The upperside hindwing shows a submarginal line of white spots and a postdiscal line of oval whitish spots. The underside of the forewings is lighter, greenish brown with white markings, while in the hindwings there are large brown and white patches bordered with dark grey and a white submarginal area. The caterpillar is mainly olive brown to beige with a blackish chest. This species is rather similar to Pyrgus alveus, Pyrgus armoricanus, Pyrgus serratulae and Pyrgus malvae. It can be difficult to separate this species from its congeners. It is most often confused with the large grizzled skipper (P. alveus) as the two species are often found in similar habitats. P. carthami can usually be separated from this species by the more closely grouped white spots on the forewing and a band of evenly sized pale spots in the postdiscal area of the hindwing. Range Pyrgus carthami is distributed from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans and Central Europe (here up to a maximum of 54 degrees of latitude). In the east the distribution extends to the southern Urals and the northwestern Caucasus. This species is absent from North Africa, peninsular Italy, northern France, the British Isles and Scandinavia. Habitat It frequents dry, sunny slopes, clearings, meadows and other grassy places. However the main habitats of Pyrgus carthami are mostly dry grasslands. On the Mainfränkische Platten (Bavaria) these are in particular Carex humilis dominated dry grasslands. In many cases, these are also locations with open rocks and gravel heaps on former shell limestone mining areas. In this natural area there are rocky locations, especially on corrugated limestone, in the Franconian Jura on Malm or along dolomite rocks. The imagos stay largely in the larval habitat or in its immediate vicinity. Ecology A single generation is produced each year. It overwinters in the caterpillar stage. The adult is on the wing from May until September. However