This species roosts in colonies in caves and tunnels, stormwater drains, and sometimes buildings. There have been observations of occasional roosts in tree hollows ( e.g. in New South Wales, Churchill 2008). It forages for insects in rainforest, vine thicket Melaleuca swamps, coastal forest, and wet anddry sclerophyll forests (Bonaccorso 1998, Churchill 2008, Hoye and Hall 2008). In the Philippines, the species is dependent on caves (Heaney et al. 1998, Esselstyn et al. 2004) where it forages over the canopy in secondary and primary lowland areas, including agricultural areas (Taylor 1934, Sanborn 1952, Heaney et al. 1991, Rickart et al. 1993, Lepiten 1995). Captures in harp traps placed in along creekbeds (including creeks not flowing) have shown that they also fly below the canopy in closed forests in Timor-Leste and Australia (K.N. Armstrong unpublished), and foraging beneath the canopy has also been reported in Papua New Guinea (Bonaccorso 1998). The species may migrate seasonally. In Australia, they congregate in the summer months to form maternity colonies, and disperse again in winter. Mating in Australia begins in July, and implantation may be delayed, with females birthing a single young in December. In the southern part of their range in Australia, bats may go into shallow hibernation, where they rouse frequently throughout the season to forage. They sometimes congregate with other species of Miniopterus, and the warm conditions in these shared cave roosts allows them to extend their southern extent in Australia. They eat mostly beetles, moths and flies, but spiders can also make up close to a third of their diet (Churchill 2008). Across their range, the characteristic frequency of their echolocation calls is between c. 52–60 kHz (Reinhold et al. 2001, Armstrong and Aplin 2011, Pennay and Lavery 2017).

This apparently widespread single species ranges from the Philippines through the island of Java (Indonesia), Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia), Sulawesi (Indonesia), Timor (Timor-Leste and Indonesia), the Moluccan Islands (Indonesia), the Aru Islands (Indonesia), the island of New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), the Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea), the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia to eastern Australia, including several Torres Strait Islands. It occurs throughout the Philippines except Babuyan/Batanes group with specimens recorded from Bongao, Bohol, Capiz, Catanduanes, Guimaras, Leyte, Luzon (Bulacan, Kalinga (Heaney et al. 2005), and Rizal provinces), Mindanao (Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Zamboanga del Norte provinces), Negros, Panay, Polillo, and Siquijor (Heaney et al. 1998) being found from sea level to about 925 m asl (Heaney et al. 1998, Esselstyn et al. 2004, Heaney et al. 2005). The species has also been recorded from Samar (J. C. Gonzales pers. comm. 2006), Cebu (Paguntalan pers. comm. 2006) and on Isarog at 1,450 m a.s.l. (J. Sedlock unpublished data). It ranges from sea level up to 2,800 m a.s.l. in New Guinea based on both capture and acoustic records (Bonaccorso 1998; Armstrong and Aplin 2011, 2014). A more accurate view of distribution will be derived from future taxonomic studies.

A common assumption for common and widespread species is that they are secure, and that adequate numbers occur in multiple protected areas. For species of Miniopterus that congregate seasonally to breed, a single catastrophic event can remove a significant fraction of a regional population. In addition, insidious processes and minor disturbances can function to cause declines both at breeding roosts and other areas where bats are present seasonally. Effective protection and strategic management of known roost sites, especially of the largest colonies, should be a priority for government land managers, ideally working with local authorities and communities. Broader-reaching policies that take steps to protect ever-dwindling natural forests and restrict the use of chemicals in agricultural areas will also help this species persist. In environmental impact assessments, so-called ‘localised effects’ may in fact have regional consequences, given the number and spatial extent of suitable protected caves available for colonies, particularly large seasonal breeding congregations. Assessments of the risk of developments to known large colonies therefore need to be informed by the broader context of habitat available for the species. The conservation status of all small Miniopterus needs reassessment in the light of new taxonomic and distributional information.