[5] The fossil consisted of a preserved jawbone that dated back to the Pleistocene; its similarity to genera Eumops and Molossus was noted, but it was initially placed into a new genus, Molossides, due to what appeared to be a unique dental formula.

[6] A live bonneted bat was first recorded in Florida in 1936, from an individual collected from a high school in North Miami.

[7] At the time, it was identified as a Eumops glaucinus specimen, and it was hypothesized that it had been introduced accidentally by a fruit steamer from Cuba.

[8] This classification was maintained until 2004, when morphological analyses showed that the bonneted bat was distinct from other subpopulations of Eumops glaucinus in its skull, body mass, and forearm length.

[9] As a molossid, particularly from the genus Eumops, the bonneted bat has exceptionally high wing loading and aspect ratios.

[4] The ears of bonneted bats are large and forward-facing, their position giving the head a bonnetlike appearance.

[11][13][14] Juveniles have been observed in January, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.

[13] However, a population of bonneted bats in Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area has the highest rate of pregnancy in April, when 95% of adult females are pregnant, compared to 10% in August and 0% in December.

[13] Roosts usually have one dominant male, that can be identified from an open gular gland, the largest body mass, and the greatest testes length.

[13] Harems are maintained throughout the year, which is in contrast to other bats of the eastern US where social groupings are seasonally variable.

[18] In 2015, another natural roost was discovered in Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, this time in a slash pine tree.

[12] In 2014, a bonneted bat roost was discovered in the roof of a vacant house in Coral Gables, Florida[21] The bonneted bats' use of the house sparked a controversy, with city officials concerned about the roof's disrepair, while the United States Fish and Wildlife Service was concerned about the implications of removing an endangered species from its roost.

[1] In 2016, the IUCN revised its assessment of the bonneted bat as Vulnerable, as there is no estimate on population size, and therefore it does not meet the "Endangered" requirement of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.