The type specimen was collected by the first author from Mały Kozi Wierch, a peak in the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) at an elevation of 2,220 m (7,280 ft).

[1] Apothecia (spore-bearing structures) are black and about 1 mm in diameter; they have an apothecial disc with central column of sterile tissue (omphalodisc) and a fissure in the centre.

[1] Umbilicaria maculata grows on the vertical faces of siliceous rocks in alpine and subnival habitats, preferring locations that are shaded and exposed to wind.

Originally known from only a few location in the Tatra Mountains,[1] it has since been reported from Uvernet-Fours in southeastern France, where it was found on the vertical faces of large blocks of Annot sandstone, at an elevation of 2,324 m (7,625 ft).

The authors call the lichen "extremely rare", but acknowledge that its true distribution is not well understood because of potential confusion with the lookalike Umbilicaria cylindrica.