It is found in arid regions, cultivated areas, culverts, caves and abandoned urban-rural buildings near crop areas (banana, rice, etc.; Ibáñez 1985, Aragón A and Aguirre Q 2014). Adult moths have been found in the stomachs of A. schnablii (Ibáñez 1985, Ortiz de la Puente 1951). Pregnant females were reported from Ecuador (mid November) and Peru (mid February), each one with a single foetus, suggesting that births and lactation are synchronized with the brief rainy season (January to May; Ibáñez 1985, L. Huamani and R. Cadenillas pers. comm.).

This species is known to occur west of the Andes in southern Ecuador, including Puná Island, Peru, and northern Chile, with the exception of one record from the department of Cajamarca in highlands of northern Peru (Gardner 2008).

The most important conservation actions should be the protection of the refuges where these species occur and the education of local people through workshops on the importance of this species in the ecosystem.