[5] A. retusa is generally found in Western Europe and southern Sweden.

[6] In the United Kingdom, A. retusa is thought to be limited to five sites, including Seaford Head Nature Reserve.

[7] A. retusa can be differentiated from Anthophora plumipes by the hind-tibial spurs; in A. plumipes they are black while in A. retusa they are yellow or yellow-brown.

[2] A. retusa prefers sandy soils and is generally found on coastal dunes and cliffs as well as inland on commons and heathlands.

[2][5] A. retusa has suffered population decline since the Second World War but undergone rapid decline since the 1990s,[7] similar to that seen in some bumblebee species.