Oligolectic: Fabaceae (Pesenko in Banaszak, 1995) with a marked preference for Trifolium repens; other forage species include Ononis, Medicago sativa, Melilotus, Trifolium arvense and possibly Lotus corniculatus.
Pekkarinen (1998) lists the following genera as pollen sources in Finland: Medicago, Ononis, Trifolium and Vicia (Fabaceae)
Michez (2004) lists the following plant species: Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens and other Fabaceae: Astragalus onobrychis, Lotus corniculatus, Melilotus officinalis, Onobrychis viciifolia, Ononis arvensis, Ononis spinosa and Vicia cracca.
Celary (2005) lists the following pollen sources for Poland: Medicago falcata, Medicago media, Medicago sativa, Trifolium arvense, Trifolium hybridum, Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Melilotus alba, Melilotus officinalis, Lotus corniculatus and Lotus uliginosus (Fabaceae). Older European literature also lists Astragalus arenarius and Coronilla varia (Torka, 1913), Lupinus luteus (Alfken, 1912), Ononis spinosa (Bluthgen, 1919), Astragalus onobrychis, Vicia cracca, Vicia villosa (Ruszkowski et al, 1988).
In the literature, there are records of visits to the following species, presumably for nectar: Arctium lappa, Centaurea sp., Cichorium sp., Cirsium canum, Crepis capillaris, Inula britannica, Achillea millefolium, Anthemis tinctoria, Carduus acanthoides, Centaurea cyanus, Centaurea stoebe, Solidago gigantea (Asteraceae); Euphorbia sp. (Euphorbiaceae); Ballota nigra anatolica, Salvia nemorosa, Salvia pratensis, Teucrium chamedrys (Lamiaceae); Malva neglecta (Malvaceae); Polygonum persicaria (Polygonaceae); Reseda sp. (Resedaceae); Veronica spicata (Scrophulariaceae); Armeria maritima (Plumbaginaceae).
Males are reported to visit flowers of Chamaenerion angustifolium (Onagraceae); Cichorium intybus (Asteraceae)(Osychnyuk, 1967); Calluna vulgaris (Ericaceae); Campanula trachelium (Campanulaceae); Fagopyrum esculentum (Polygonaceae); Linaria vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae); Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae); Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae)(Ruszkowski et al., 1988) and Veronica spicata (Scrophulariaceae)(Banaszak, 1980).
In GB, the species is occasionally recorded from Rubus (Rosaceae); Carduus nutans, Serratula tinctoria and Taraxacum sp. (Asteraceae)(Edwards, 1998).
Ruszkowski et al. (1988) summarising information from central Europe also list the following forage plants (presmably nectar sources): Arctium lappa, Centaurea micranthos, Centaurea scabiosa, Chamomilla recutita, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium canum, Hieracium umbellatum, Hypochoeris radicata, Inula britannica, Leontodon autumnalis, Senecio jacobaea, Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae); Salvia nemorosa, Salvia pratensis, Stachys spp., Teucrium chamaedrys, Thymus serpyllum (Lamiaceae); Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae); Jasione montana (Campanulaceae); Knautia arvensis (Dipsacaceae); Lythrum salicaria (Lythraceae); Polygonum persicaria (Polygonaceae); Sedum acre (Crassulaceae).
Michez (2007) reports his study of 778 specimens with floral data as follows: Achillea millefolium, Centaurea sp., Centaurea jacea, Centaurea sterilis, Centaurea stoebe, Cichorium sp., Cichorium intybus, Cirsium sp., Cirsium monspessulanum, Cirsium vulgare, Inula sp., Inula britannica, Leontodon sp., Senecio inaequidens, Senecio jacobaea, Serratula tinctoria, Solidago gigantea, Xeranthemum annuum (Asteraceae); Anchusa sp. (Boraginaceae); Campanula rotundifolia (Campanulaceae); Cistus sp. (Cistaceae); Scabiosa isetensis (Dipsacaceae); Astragalus onobrychis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Lotus sp., Lotus coniculatus, Medicago sp., Medicago falcata, Medicago lupuina, Medicago sativa, Medicago x varia, Melilotus sp., Melilotus alba, Melilotus altissima, Medicago officinalis, Trifolium sp., Trifolium arvense, Trifolium montanum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Vicia villosa (Fabaceae); Ballota nigra, Lavandula sp., Lavandula angustifolia, Lycopus europaeus, Mentha pulegium, Nepeta nuda, Origanum vulgare, Salvia nemorosa, Salvias x. sylvestris, Thymus serpyllum (Lamiaceae); Lythrum salicariae (Lythraceae); Lavatera thuringiaca, (Malvaceae); Reseda lutea (Resedaceae); Rubus sp. (Rosaceae); Linaria vulgaris, Veronica sp. (Scrophulariaceae).
Levchenko (2009) lists the following flowers in the Moscow region of Russia: Astragalus cicer, Coronilla varia, Lotus corniculatus, Medicago falcata, Medicago sativa, Medicago lupulina, Melilotus albus, Melilotus officinalis, Trifolium hybridum, Trifolium repens (Fabaceae); Cham[aen]erion angustifolium (Onagraceae); Centaurea scabiosa, Cichorium intybus, Hieracium umbellatum (Asteraceae); Geranium pratense (Geraniaceae).