[2] It was initially described as a distinct species by Robert Fisher Tomes in 1858, but later studies reclassified as conspecific with Hodgson's bat (M. formosus).

Creating a phylogeny based on wing patterns, the study found M. rufoniger to be most closely related to Welwitsch's bat (M. welwitschii) of Africa, rather than to M.

The study found its effective population size to have peaked during the late Pleistocene, about 50,000 years ago, and to have dramatically decreased since the Last Glacial Maximum, reaching its lowest level in the present day.

An exhibition center for the species exists in Hampyeong County, which, in addition to an exhibition hall, also displays a sculpture of the species made of 162 kg of pure gold, referencing the discovery of a colony of over 162 bats in a nearby cave.

However, this species has a wide range across East Asia and is thought to have some degree of tolerance to habitat modification, so it is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.