The species is found in a wide variety of habitat types. It has been recorded from lowland gardens, through to mature forest. Animals frequently visit village gardens and seaside coconut plantations to feed on coconut and kapok flowers. A female captured on Gatokae Island in April was carrying a young; presumably the species normally gives birth to a single young. This species normally roosts in tree hollows and the cavities of strangler figs in primary forests (T. Lavery pers. comm.). It can be found roosting in the same tree hollows that are occupied by other pteropodid species (e.g., Pteropus rayneri and Pteralopex taki) and cuscus (Phalanger orientalis), or adjacent trees  (T. Lavery pers. comm.).

This species is endemic to the Solomon Islands. It has been recorded from the islands of Fauro, Gatokae, Guadacanal, Kerehikapa, Kolombangara, Malaita, Mbanika, New Georgia, Nggela Sule, Pavuvu, Sikopo, Tetepare, Vangunu, and Vella Lavella (Flannery 1995, Lavery pers. comm.). The species is not known from Bougainville just 12 km from Fauro and with another island stepping stone between them and this may be due to competitive exclusion by Pteropus mahaganus (S. Hamilton pers. comm., T. Lavery pers. comm.). It has been recorded from sea level to 1,230 m asl.

It is listed on Appendix II of CITES. This species occurs with several community conservation areas but is not protected in any formally recognised protected area (T. Lavery pers. comm.). Further research is needed to confirm the range of sites used for roosting by this species, and to determine if it can persist in the absence of primary forests (T. Lavery pers. comm.).