Excavator; Ground. Excavated burrows in mostly hard soil with 1-5 cells either arranged linearly one behind the other or singly at the end of small ramifications. The females sometimes also use preexisting insect burrows in the ground, e.g. burrows of Cicindela larvae.
Nesting material: The cells are entirely constructed from finely masticated leaves (rarely petals) of Scabiosa, sometimes also of Dorycnium. The inner surface of the cells is lined with about two layers of petal pieces (e.g. Papaver, Sisymbrium, Matthiola, Convolvulus, Glaucium, Scabiosa). The nest burrow is closed immediately below the soil surface by a partition made of masticated leaves (e.g. Sanguisorba) and/or petals (e.g. Cichorium); this partition is eventually hidden below earth crumbs. In sandy soils, the nest plug is sometimes lacking when it cannot be properly fixed due to the loose substrate. (Benoist, 1931; Ferton, 1892, 1894, 1897, 1901a, 1905, 1908, 1909; G. Le Goff, personal observation; A. Müller, personal observation)