Davis et al. (2020) note that "By virtue of very small body size and mostly close morphological similarity" species of Odonotoloma are difficult to distinguish, and that the entire genus is in need of taxonomic revision. This species was until recently known only from female specimens. The first male was collected in August 2021, and a redescription is pending (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).

This species is listed as Endangered on the basis that it has a known area of occupancy of 8 km², it is considered to occur at two locations, and almost the entirety of its known and inferred range lies within an area subject to coastal mining that is resulting in a continuing decline in the extent and quality of natural habitats on which it is presumed to depend. This listing is necessarily precautionary given the limited available data on this species' ecological requirements and occupancy patterns.

This species is known only from the arid west coast of South Africa, at a farm named Klein Kogel Fontein (Davis et al. 2020) and from Eland's Bay (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). At Klein Kogel Fontein it was collected at 38 m asl (Davis et al. 2020). It was not recorded in a survey of Koekenaap, an area of similar habitat slightly further inland, and it is unclear whether the non-detection is a sampling artefact or this site is too far inland (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). It may be relatively widespread in coastal areas between between the two known localities, but as it seems to occur in low densities it may be difficult to detect without targeted searches in good weather (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).

Prior to 2021 this species was known from the female holotype (Davis et al. 2020) collected in August 1979, and from four overlooked specimens within a set of unidentified material collected from Eland's Bay between 1970 and 1980 (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). A targeted survey at the type locality in August 2021 recorded 10 specimens in a series of 10 pig dung-baited traps left for 48 hours, including the first male (G. Daniel, unpubl. data). These data suggest it occurs in very low densities compared with other species of Odontoloma, which can be collected in the thousands, particularly as it is easy to identify when present (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). Even with targeted surveys a degree of luck may be required to record it (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).

Nothing is known of the ecology of this species (Davis et al. 2020). Klein Kogel Fontein lies within an area of coastal shrubland on deep sand characterizsd as Namaqualand Strandveld, within the Succulent Karoo (Davis et al. 2020). Eland's Bay also lies in shrubland on deep sand within Lambert's Bay Strandveld, a similar habitat. It may be associated with specific pockets of coastal dune shrubland (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). It is flightless (with "obsolete" wings) and probably diurnal. It has been recorded in August during the winter rainy season (Davis et al. 2020), and its rediscovery took place during rain (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). It has been sampled using pig dung baits, but may be a dung generalist. Dung beetles this small frequently steal dung from other beetles, and this species is suspected to exhibit this behaviour (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).

Grazing is likely to be a threat, although the recent collection was from an overgrazed area and the species may tolerate that level of disturbance (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). Coastal vegetation in this area seems mostly undisturbed and not strongly fragmentary away from towns. However, mining for alluvial diamonds washed downstream occur very close to Klein Kogel Fontein. Ongoing subsea coastal mining is systematically covering all sections of this coastline to just north of Eland's Bay, and will consequently affect the entire inferred range of this species (C. Deschodt pers. comm. 2023). Google Earth imagery suggests that there is some natural vegetation and white sand dunes in Eland's Bay, but there is evidence of some irrigation and past cultivation just inland (A. Davis pers. comm. 2023).

There is no known use of or trade in this species. It is very small and unlikely to be of interest to collectors.

This species is not known from any protected areas, although it probably occurs in Eland's Bay Nature Reserve. It may occur in a small reserve a few kilometres north of the type locality, but this has not been studied. Targeted surveys in the sandveld around Klein Kogel Fontein and along the entire coastline south to Eland's Bay are needed to obtain more material and clarify the species' distribution and ecology (Davis et al. 2020, G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023). A taxonomic revision of this genus is currently underway, but a lot of work is needed (G. Daniel pers. comm. 2023).