It is possible that Megalonitis bohemanni is a junior synonym of M. gigas. This needs to be determined by comparisons between the type and other museum material.

Although Megalonitis bohemanni is represented by few specimens in museums, and is rarely collected, it exhibits a very large extent of occurrence and a much more restricted, but still large, area of occupancy inferred from areas within its range that remain suitable for the beetle and retain elephant populations on which it depends. The reasons for its rarity, even in well-preserved habitats with suitable dung, are not understood but the global population will undoubtedly exceed a threshold for listing in a threatened category and any range-wide declines will not approach 30% in 10 years (presumed to be longer than three generations). It is consequently listed Least Concern as it does not approach any threshold for listing in a threatened category, but with the caveat that additional research is needed to understand whether its scarcity is natural or a result of decline.

This species was described from Lake Ngami in northern Botswana (van Lansberge 1875). As currently defined, the species is found in the dry savanna belt of southern Africa (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records). It is known from seven scattered localities in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and sites along the Zimbabwe-Botswana-Namibia-Zambia border and the South Africa-Mozambique border (Davis et al. 2020). Its closest relative Megalonitis gigas was described from Mozambique, and it is presumed that (if the two species are specifically distinct) M. bohemanni occurs in central or southern areas of Mozambique from which the genus has not so far been recorded (Davis 2013). Part of the distribution lies along international borders with southern Angola and southern Zambia, across which there are no known geographical barriers.

The population trend of this species is unknown. However, the species is known from fewer than 100 specimens in museum collections (Cambefort 1995) and is rarely recorded, even within the game reserves coinciding with its geographical range. In 16 years of surveys from 1970, it was recorded only as a rarity (no more than one or two animals per collection, on a total of seven occasions across all reserves) in the northeast part of Etosha National Park (N.P.), Namibia; in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana; in Victoria Falls N.P. and Hwange N.P., Zimbabwe; and in the northern part of the Kruger N.P., South Africa (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records).

Collection records indicate that this large-bodied, night-flying, tunnelling species has been recorded on both sand and finer-grained clay soils in dry open woodland savanna or grassland within woodland where all records were from elephant dung or attraction to light (Australian CSIRO 1970-1986, unpublished records).

This species has been recorded only within game reserves containing elephants within the Angolan mopane woodlands (AT0725), Zambezian and mopane woodlands (AT0702), Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands (AT0726), and Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands (AT0709) (ecoregions based on Olson et al. 2001).

Some environmental characteristics for eight locality records are as follows: altitude: mean: 952 ± 233 (S.D.), range: 428-1,127 m; annual rainfall: mean: 543 ± 89 (S.D.), range: 414-569 mm; annual temperature: mean: 22.1 ± 0.8 (S.D.), range: 21.1-23.1^oC (max. + min. / 2).

This species exhibits an observed specialised association with the coarse-fibred dung of large non-ruminant (monogastric) herbivores, particularly that of elephants. Owing to severe shrinkage in the range of these large herbivores due to hunting and the creation of farms, the survival of this species is dependent on the continued protection of elephants in appropriate dry woody habitat. Significant elephant populations nonetheless remain in parts of this species' range, such as northern Botswana.

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

There are no species-specific conservation actions in place for this species. From past localities, it may be assumed that the species currently remains protected in the widely-separated national parks and game reserves listed in the Population. However, because of its rarity and apparent localisation within these reserves, even during the 1970's, the current distribution and ecological constraints of this species needs to be determined by a survey of elephant dung in the same localities as well as in other dry savanna regions where elephants are reported to still occur, particularly areas in the Zambezi Valley and southern coastal plain of Mozambique. In particular, the habitat qualities that lead to its rarity need to be researched.