The collected parts were published as a single volume after Distant's death by Francis Edwards of London in 1924.

Specimens of this species were collected in 1906 and then not found again in the field until 2001 "when small, localised populations were discovered during a faunal survey for the Environmental Management Programme Report for the Anglo Platinum Der Brochen Platinum project in the Groot Dwars River valley, Mpumalanga."

- Platypleura sylvia As a result a behavioural study was carried out in the Groot Dwars River valley in 2001 and 2002, during which researchers found that the adult life stage of the insect lasted six to eight weeks during the months of November and December, and that its distribution is extremely localised and confined to a number of valleys in Sekhukhuneland.

Cicada nymphs were found down to 50 centimetres (20 in) below the soil surface attached to the roots of Vitex obovata and exuviae were found above ground on trees of the same species housing calling adults, and on other plant species when no adults were present.

[2][3] Other mining companies dismiss concerns by stating that the species is "rare but not on IUCN Red List due to insufficient data", ignoring its disappearance for almost a century and equating "insufficient data" with a licence to act irresponsibly.