This rare species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, where it is currently found in Karnataka's Kudremukh National Park. It inhabits caves underneath boulders in the riffle zone of hill streams in the riparian habitats of the tropical evergreen forests, at the elevation of 900m asl.

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the current population size and trend of this species are not known. With lesser individuals in less than five locations, the Extent of Occurrence is less than 5,000 sq km and the Area of Occupancy is less than 500 sq km. The threats to its persistence come from habitat degradation due to mining activities in Kudremukh and other human encroachments like Wood harvesting and recreational activities.