It is listed as Endangered on the basis that, even following the discovery of new records that substantially expanded its distribution, the species has an extent of occurrence below 5,000 km², it is known at four localities which potentially correspond to the same number of locations, and it seems to be associated with forest vegetation which is undergoing a continuing decline in extent and quality. Further research may however reveal that this species is more widespread than presently understood.

This species is a South African endemic. It  is known from only four localities: the type locality Keurboomstrand (Frolov and Scholtz 2003), and three seemingly disjunct sites from Zuurberg Pass, Olifantskop Pass, and Signal Hill all about 300 km to the east, and further inland than the type locality (Strümpher et al. 2022). The type locality lies in the extreme east of the Western Cape (Strümpher et al. 2022), contra Davis et al. (2020), who mistakenly locate the type locality in the Eastern Cape.

This species is known from only eight specimens from the type locality (Frolov and Scholtz 2003), collected in 1976 (Davis et al. 2020), and from a total of 21 specimens collected from the other three localities in January 2021 (Strümpher et al. 2022). The apparent rarity of this species and other forest-associated Sarophorus may reflect under-sampling of forest patches in the Western and Eastern Cape (Strümpher et al. 2022).

The type locality lies within the southern Afrotemperate forest zone. Until recently it was believed that it may be endemic to this habitat type (Frolov and Scholtz 2003, Davis et al. 2020), but the three new localities reported by Strümpher et al. (2022) lie within Southern Mistbelt Forest. In general, members of this genus tend to exhibit an association with shade-providing vegetation (including dense savanna woodland, renosterveld shrubland, and forest; Davis et al. 2020). Known records of this species were taken either in cool coastal areas or within deep forested valleys, suggesting that it may be particularly adapted to cooler situations (Strümpher et al. 2022).

All specimens sampled by Strümpher et al. (2022) were taken from pitfall traps baited with a composite of pig dung and fresh carrion (chicken livers). None were attracted to traps baited only with pig dung. It is consequently possible that it is more strongly attracted to carrion than to dung, as has been suggested for other members of the genus (Frolov 2004, Roets et al. 2017).

Nothing is known of soil associations, but coastal forests in the vicinity of the type locality have been observed to be supported on deep sands.

A previous Red List assessment (Davis 2013) suggested that if this is a forest species, it is likely to be threatened by the ongoing replacement of indigenous forest with commercial plantations. Although A. Davis (pers. comm. 2023) has been unable to find any reference suggesting that this is an immediate or ongoing threat to the known sites, major threats to Southern Mistbelt Forest patches include uncontrolled harvesting of wood, overexploitation of other forest resources, and mismanagement of burning in surrounding grassland (von Maltitz et al. 2003). Although it is unclear whether any of these impacts affect the specific localities in which the species has been found or may occur, it is precautionarily assumed that there is some continuing decline in habitat quality.

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

This species is known from Garden Route National Park. Surveys of forest and shrubland (Fynbos and Renosterveld) patches in both the Eastern and Western Cape are needed to obtain better data on its distribution, rarity, and habitat preferences. These surveys may also help in providing more data on other poorly-known dung beetles associated with woody vegetation (Strümpher et al. 2022). Ecological data on its dung, soil and vegetation type associations are required for a more accurate assessment, particularly as the region comprises sand and finer-grained soils. As all known localities are from forest, regional preservation of Afrotemperate and southern Mitsbelt forest will be necessary to maintain a viable population.