[2] Ancistrocerus scoticus occurs throughout the Palearctic from Ireland south to northern Morocco east to Kamchatka, including Korea.

[2][3] Ancistrocerus scoticus has a rather catholic choice of habitats and has been recorded in moorland, sandy areas such as lowland and coastal heaths, woodlands on clay and sandy soils, parkland, quarries (especially limestone and sandstone), calcareous grassland, gardens, coastal cliffs, wetlands, sand dunes and shingle.

[2] In Britain Ancistrocerus scoticus is probably univoltine flying mainly from June to August, occasionally it has been recorded as early as May and as late as September, and very infrequently in April.

It normally builds clay cells in hollow spaces such as crevices in rocks, cracks in man made stone structures, cavities among pebbles and slag heaps at mines, as well as within the bark of pine trees and the dry, dead stems of such plants as elder and in reeds.

The adults have been recorded foraging for nectar at the flowers of sea holly, brambles, hogweed and thistles.