Wingspan: 26–34 mm
Flight period of butterflies: in one extended generation from mid-May to September
Caterpillar food plants: species from the genus Potentilla (Potentilla)
The pattern on the upperside of the wings of the large slezovček (Pyrgus carthami) is very similar to the pattern of the other butterflies of this genus, the dark brown wings are speckled with more or less angular white spots. As its name suggests, it is the largest among them, though some relatives come very close in size. It is characterized by two series of distinctly elongated white bands on the upperside of the hindwings. These bands can be quite blurred, but are always present. In addition, the grayish coloration in the large slezovček penetrates far toward the middle of the upperside of the forewings.
Its underside of the wings is basically very light, yellowish gray. The base color is interrupted by a pattern of white patches of irregular shapes. For the large slezovček, it is characteristic that the white patches along the outer edge of the underside of the hindwings touch and form a practically uninterrupted white belt.
The large slezovček is a distinctly warm-loving species limited to the southwestern part of Slovenia. It lives on rocky karst meadows and dry meadows, rich with a multitude of different flowers.
Most of its populations in Slovenia are very small and are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss. It has been listed on the Slovenian red list in the category of a vulnerable species, but its threat status can quickly deteriorate due to abandonment of mowing and grazing and the resulting overgrowth of pastures on the one hand, and due to overgrazing and afforestation on the other.
