Leistus ferrugineus is a species of ground beetle native to the Palearctic and the Nearctic. In Europe, it is found in Austria, the Baltic states, Benelux, Great Britain including the Isle of Man, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, mainland France, Germany, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, mainland Italy, Kaliningrad, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, Scandinavia Slovakia, Slovenia, mainland Spain, Switzerland, in all states of former Yugoslavia (except for Republic of Macedonia), and eastern Europe.