Ebmer (2009) observed this species exclusively on flowers of Legousia pentagonia (Campanulaceae) on Samos, Greece. If this species should turn out to be indeed oligolectic on Legousia or on other genera of the Campanulaceae, it is the only member of the subgenus Chelostoma known so far to exploit Campanulaceae for pollen. However, the single pollen sample available so far (from Samos) consists of pollen of Dipsacaceae, which is in line with field observations on Rhodos, where males of C. lucens were observed to patrol the flower heads of Dipsacaceae (A. Müller, unpublished). Thus, C. lucens is probably oligolectic on Dipsacaceae as are its closest relatives.
Mavromoustakis (1951; 1952) lists Calendula persica and Anthemis libanotica (Asteraceae) as forage plants in Cyprus. In Lebanon it is reported to visit Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). Whether or not Mavromoustakis's taxon is conspecific needs to be questioned