The species entry assessed under the name Catharsius laticeps in Davis et al. (2020) is wrongly identified (H. Takano pers. comm. to A. Davis), and these authors include a note clarifying that the true C. laticeps is a forest specialist known from KwaZulu Natal (South Africa) and southern Mozambique. The species they treated under this name was undescribed at the time the Atlas was completed, but has since been described as Catharsius punctatus(A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

This species is listed as Least Concern on the basis that this species is primarily known from protected areas.

This species is known from the lowlands of northeast South Africa, and southern Zimbabwe (Josso and Prevost 2019, Davis et al. 2020). Since the completion of Davis et al. (2020) a further record has been taken from the Tuli Block in eastern Botswana (University of Pretoria reference collection now donated to the IZIKO South African Museum).

This species has been recorded in low numbers and appears to be present at very low population density (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

This species is poorly known ecologically. There are limited qualitative collection records from sandy loam in shrubland and from elephant and cattle dung (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023). Flight activity is in the summer rainy season. At four known localities excluding Botswana, elevation ranges from 55-495 m, annual rainfall from 395-629 mm, and annual temperature from 22.7-23.1 °C (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

Most records of this species are from game reserves, and it is unlikely to be exposed to major threats (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

This species is unlikely to be utilised.

Four of the five known localities (excluding Zimbabwe) lie in game reserves or national parks (Ndumu, Kruger, Tuli Block) (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).