Polylectic: foraging from Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae); Brassica, Alliaria petiolata (Brassicaceae); Acer pseudoplatanus (Aceraceae); lIex aquifolium (Aquifoliaceae); Prunus spinosa, Prunus avium, Crataegus monogyna, Pyrus cultivars (Rosaceae); Ribes uva-crispa (Grossulariaceae); Anthriscus sylvestris (Apiaceae); Betula (Betulaceae); Salix (Salicaceae); Doronicum, Tussilago, Petasites, Bellis and Taraxacum (Asteraceae) (Chambers, 1968).
Radchenko (1981) reports that in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine A. varians foraged at 12 species of plants from the following families: Brassicaceae, Rosaceae, Crassulaceae, Ranunculaceae, Asteraceae.
Tomozei & Radchenko (2015), citing others, state that the species is polylectic and collect pollen from flowers of the Salicaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Ranunculaceae and Valerianaceae. It is known as a good pollinator of fruit crops.