Its natural habitat is either moist tropical forest or savanna.

[1][2] The holotype of the bat was collected in Niangara in northeastern DR Congo, near the border with Sudan.

The species was initially called a subspecies of both M. trevori and M. congicus.

However, it was retained as an independent species following an assessment that indicated that the holotype's skull significantly differed from skulls of both M. trevori and congicus.

The bat's taxonomic relationship with M. trevori is unclear.