this article reports the first record of Melocactus ernestii Vaupel in Ceará State, Brazil. The population was found in Quixadá municipality, a region geographically located in the sertão of Quixeramobim. The geomorphology of the municipality is inserted within the domains of Depressão Sertaneja and Residual Massifs, in the form of inselbergs, which are isolated granite-gneissic rocky outcrops. The new population was found on a 225 m high inselberg and is conspicuous, with dozens of adult and young individuals. The new occurrence expands the geographic distribution of the species 400 km further towards the northwest from the nearest record.