Polylectic with a strong preference for Fabaceae; additional pollen sources include Vaccinium (Ericaceae) and Salix (Salicaceae) (Amiet et al., 2004; Hicks, 2009; Westrich, 1989).
The species has rarely been observed on the wing in Scotland, and there is apparently no published account of the flowers visited there. However, a sample of the pollen load from a female collected at Kincraig (Highland), and now in the NHML, was analysed by P. Westrich and found to consist entirely of Lotus corniculatus (Fabaceae) pollen. Near Blair Atholl, in June 1998, a female was observed visiting L. corniculatus flowers (Else & Edwards, 2018).
In Germany the species is polylectic, but in a restricted sense, preferring Fabaceae and Ericaceae, visiting for example Hippocrepis comosa (Fabaceae) Vaccinium vitis-idaea and V. myrtillus (Ericaceae) (F.K. Stöckhert, 1933; Westrich, 1989). In North America, an analysis of pollen collected by a female found that 90% of a load consisted of Vaccinium pollen, the remainder of Salix (Salicaceae) (Stubbs et al., 1992).
Müller (2018) lists the following pollen sources in the Alps: Lotus, Hippocrepis, Anthyllis (Fabaceae); Vaccinium (Ericaceae); Potentilla-type (Rosaceae); Lamiaceae (Lamioideae)
On mainland Europe, Astragalus (Fabaceae); Hieracium (Asteraceae); and Geum (Rosaceae) (Banaszak & Romasenko, 1998).