The species has a mostly coastal distribution in the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003), with localised populations in salt marshes, streams in wadis and permanent pools (Karim and Dakheel 2006). It has been recorded from islands off Abu Dhabi northwards to Rams (Ra's al-Khaimah) e.g., at Khor Hulaylah (Llewellyn-Smith 2011). Feulner (2016) records the species from wet wadis of the Hajar Mountains but noted that it is largely absent from Shimayliyah and from the east side of the mountains in the UAE, including Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2011), although found north of the Masafi area and as far north as tributaries of Wadi Fa'y, on the southern edge of the Ru'us al-Jibal. G. Feulner (in litt. MEW 2010) that the two main areas where the species is found are Khor Hulaylah and the Abu Dhabi islands. According to participants of the National UAE Red List Workshop (15th-19th September 2019, Dubai), this species also occurs in Wadi Siji and Sharjah. J. rigidus and J. socotranus are easily confused, and confirmation of the identity of records of J. rigidus from the mountains is required. Globally, the species occurs throughout much of Africa, including Mediterranean countries, as well as scattered localities on the northern Mediterranean coast and islands, and east through the Arabian Peninsula and Asia Minor to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). There are also two records from Ras al-Khaimah within the RBGE Edinburgh collections.