This species is endemic to Australia, where it occurs as patchy populations in the western gibber plains of the Lake Eyre Basin from Pernatty Station (south-east of Woomera), to the Finke in the Northern Territory (Lee 1995; Brandle et al. 1999)). It was formerly much more widely distributed; for instance, the species is no longer found in the eastern part of the Lake Eyre Basin (Brandle et al. 1999). This species was last collected in Western Australia and south-east South Australia in 1969, and has not been found since. During periods of drought, it is found only within refugia.