Both within and outside the southern Africa region, this species has a relatively wide distribution and is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threat or Near Threatened category. It is assessed as Least Concern within the Southern African region and globally. However, there is only one record from South Africa (near Itala in northern KwaZulu-Natal) that was collected prior to 1952 (Samways 2008; Samways & Simaika 2016). Despite intensive searches over many years the species has not been recorded again in South Africa. This species has not been recorded from any nearby areas close to the locality where it was found before and so this may have been a relict population. Lack of nearby source subpopulations suggests that this species is not likely to re-colonize its former locality in KwaZulu-Natal. The Southern Red Jewel (Chlorocypha consueta) is assessed as regionally extinct in South Africa, as after extensive searches in different seasons and over many years the species has not been found.
Distribution
Within the southern Africa region, this species has been recorded from Mozambique, South Africa, northwest Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It may occur in eastern Angola in the upper Zambezi River catchment. In South Africa, it is known from only one specimen caught in northern KwaZulu-Natal prior to 1952 (Pinhey 1984a). Globally, the species occurs from west Tanzania to Angola and northern South Africa; records from Nigeria are doubtful.
The only recorded subpopulation of the species in South Africa (Itala) is no longer present and is largely impacted by plantation forestry and alien trees. Currently there is no known extant population in South Africa.
Threats
In South Africa, stream disturbance and shading of habitat from invasive alien trees and plantation trees, are the main threats (Samways 2006) to the prior habitat of the species.
Conservation
No specific conservation actions are known to be in place at present. In South Africa, searches for further localities are still needed (Samways 2006).
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,]
