Oligolectic on Ranunculaceae; D.B. Baker (pers. comm.) has seen females collecting Ranunculus pollen in Essex.
In Germany, an oligolege of Ranunculus species (Ranunculaceae), including Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus and Ranunculus repens (Westrich, 1983). At the beginning of the flight season there may be a shortage of these main forage species and the loads may then contain pollens other than Ranunculus. Also on the continent, Käpylä (1978) analysed one load which was found to consist entirely of Rosa (Rosaceae) pollen.
Ivanov et al (2005) state that the species is monolectic on Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae) but this must be an error.
Pekkarinen (1998) lists Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae) as the pollen source in Finland.
Müller (2009) states that it is oligolectic on Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae) and possibly also on closely related genera (Amiet et al., 2004; Sedivy et al., 2008; Westrich, 1989).
Flowers visited: Käpylä ’s observations (1978) suggest that the males are even more adapted to Ranunculus than the females. The main nectar sources listed by Käpylä are yellow-flowered Asteraceae (particularly species of Sonchus, Hieracium and Taraxacum), Stellaria graminea (Caryophyllaceae); Tilia cordata (Tiliaceae) and Geranium sylvaticum (Geraniaceae) In the Netherlands, it visits (perhaps also for nectar) Campanula rotundifolia (Campanulaceae); Echium vulgare (Boraginaceae) Hypochoeris radicata (Asteraceae); Reseda lutea (Resedaceae) and Taraxacum (Asteraceae) (van der Zanden, 1982).