This species has a seemingly very restricted distribution, as even if it occurs in remaining woodland patches there is very little apparently suitable habitat remaining for this species. The known locality is unsuitable for cultivation or settlement and there is probably no continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, but there is a plausible future threat from habitat degradation that, should it become active, would immediately warrant listing this species as Critically Endangered applying criterion B2. It is therefore listed as Vulnerable applying criterion D2.

This species is known only from Ekuvinjelwini, between the eastern escarpment and the Lebombo Mountains in Eswatini (Daniel et al. 2018), where it was collected at 585 m asl (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). There have been no further surveys of this area since it was described.

This species is known only from the male holotype (Daniel et al. 2018). This is undated, but is thought to have been collected around 2016-2017 based on the date it was accessioned (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). Along with the late date of its discovery, this implies the species may be rare (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). It remains possible, however, that this scarcity is a collecting artefact (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). It is flightless and might be localised in an area that is poorly surveyed, so traps may need to be in exactly the right place (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). The known specimen was collected from a baited pitfall trap, but it is unclear what dung would have been used although it was likely to have been cattle dung (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).

The known specimen was collected from "shaded vegetation" in a survey conducted by the University of Swaziland (Daniel et al. 2018). No other information on its ecology was provided by these authors. At the known locality, mean annual rainfall is 830 mm and mean annual temperature is 20.7 °C (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). The grid reference for the known locality lies within Swaziland Sour Bushveld, which comprises five discrete patches of woodland (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). The species is flightless (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

The vegetation region as a whole has lost 21.2% of its natural vegetation as a consequence of cultivation and plantations (Mucina and Rutherford 2006). Despite nominally lying within a protected area, the type locality lies within partially disturbed woodland "surrounded by extreme transformation" (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). The area is heavily populated by subsistence farmers and local villages, which expand as needed irrespective of environmental regulations (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). If this species is genuinely associated with shaded vegetation, it is likely to be sensitive to woodland disturbance and clearance, and it is not expected to survive in converted areas (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). The known locality was on a slope unsuitable for cultivation or settlement. Whether it occurs more widely is unknown.

There is no known trade in this species, which is known from a single specimen. There is unlikely to be any commercial interest due to its small size.

Although the area within which the type locality lies falls within the Nyonyane Protected Landscape, this may not confer effective protection. Only 6% of the 'Swaziland Sour Bushveld' is formally protected across its range in both South Africa and Eswatini (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). Although its scarcity is likely to be genuine, research is needed to confirm this suggestion. The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy need to be clarified before this species' conservation status can be evaluated (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). Targeted surveys are needed in remaining woodland patches to determine whether it is present in any of these (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).