This species is listed as Least Concern on the basis that it is widespread and most records are from game reserves that maintain populations of monogastric herbivores, on the dung of which it seems to rely. It is likely to have experienced historical declines and range contractions in tandem with these large mammals, but this would have taken place well outside a three-generation period for this species.

This species was described from Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (presumably from the game reserve rather than the village) and has been recorded from a small lowland area of northeast South Africa and southern Mozambique. It has also been recorded from upland plains in Tanzania and Kenya (although the Tanzanian data require research - A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). It is likely that this widespread but localised distribution (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986 unpublished records, Schoolmeesters 2011) is an artefact of under collection, partly due to its extremely small body size, and partly due to dung specialisation, as most records are from game reserves.

There are no quantitative population data available for this species.

There are only limited habitat data attached to collection records for this extremely small-bodied, day-flying species. It has been recorded on black cotton clay and sandy loam, primarily in open woodland or shrubland on the coarse-fibred dung of monogastric mammals, including zebra and white rhinoceros, although there are also records from cattle dung (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records). It has been trapped in low numbers (total 11) with a composite bait of pig, horse, and cattle dung in uMkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where it was recorded primarily in woody vegetation, either on sand overlying clay (0.5 individuals per trap) or on sandy clay loam (0.5 per trap) (Doube 1991). Despite limited food data, with dung types represented by individual records, the association of known localities with game reserves implies that it is likely to be a specialist on monogastric herbivore dung (Davis et al. 2020) as these animals are scarce outside game reserves within its range.

The limited collection records for this species coincide with savanna areas in the Southern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets (AT0716) of East Africa and the Zambezian and Mopane woodlands (AT0725) plus the inland edge of the Maputaland coastal forest mosaic (AT0199) in southern Africa (ecoregions based on Olson et al. 2001).

Some environmental characteristics for nine locality records in southern Africa are as follows: mean elevation: 654 ± 727 (S.D.), range: 16-1,630 m; annual rainfall: mean: 874 ± 183 (S.D.), range: 668-1,162 mm; annual temperature: mean: 20.7 ± 1.2 (S.D.), range: 19.4-23.0^oC (max. + min. / 2).

As this species has been recorded primarily from game reserves, mainly from the coarse-fibred dung of monogastric herbivores (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records), contraction in the range of these mammals through hunting and the creation of farms would constitute a threat. Most available records are from the dung of equines and rhinoceros. This species may also be associated with elephant dung but this remains to be confirmed.

There is no use or trade information available for this species.

There are no species-specific conservation measures in place. In order to provide a more accurate assessment of this species' conservation status and extinction risk, a survey of its soil, vegetation and dung type associations needs to be conducted. Although this species is "definitely" a specialist on the dung of monogastric herbivores (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023), a test of its relative association with the dung of equines, rhinoceros and elephants might also be useful. Furthermore, in order to ascertain the degree of localization across its range, a survey of reserves and their environs between South Africa and northern Tanzania is required. It is currently provided with a measure of protection in Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserves in South Africa, the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya, and potentially the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records).