Although forearm length is typically shorter, it falls within the Western bent-winged bat's range.

Miniopterus, a widespread genus of bats in Africa, southern Eurasia, and Australia, was first recorded from Madagascar by George Edward Dobson, who mentioned the larger Miniopterus schreibersii and the smaller M. scotinus (currently M. natalensis) in his 1878 catalog of the bats in the British Museum.

[1] In New Guinea, the dorsal fur has two colors—dark black-brown bases and light red-brown or medium brown points.

[2][3] It ranges across Borneo, Malay Peninsula, New Guinea, Lesser Sunda and some nearby Islands.

It seeks aerial prey above the canopy of the forest in its quick, direct flight.