This species is found in primary and secondary montane and lowland forests, scrub, secondary growth and gardens. It roosts either singly or in small groups of few individuals among tightly rolled leaves of the broad-leaved trees especially banana, also in caves and tree hollows. It is a fast and early flyer, with bats often encountered in the forest understory and in gaps along streams (Rickart et al. 1993, Molur et al. 2002, Heaney et al. 2004, G. Csorba pers. comm. 2018).

This widespread species has been recorded throughout much of northern South Asia, central and southern China and most of Southeast Asia. In South Asia, the species is presently known from Bhutan (no exact location, Das 2003), India (Assam, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, and West Bengal), and Nepal (Central Nepal) (Srinivasulu, C. pers. comm.). In Southeast Asia, it appears to be present throughout the mainland and widespread in insular Southeast Asia being recorded from Indonesia (the Mentawi Islands, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Sulawesi, Ambon and Bunguran), the island of Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia), and throughout the Philippines, with records from Biliran, Busuanga, Leyte, Luzon (Cagayan, Laguna, Rizal and Kalinga Provinces [Heaney et al. 2004]), Maripipi, Negros (Heaney et al. 1998). Specimens from Culion Island and Camarines Sur Province (Luzon Island) previously referred to this species are now considered to represent Myotis ater (Heaney et al. 2004). The specimen previously reported from Bukidnon, Mindanao is of uncertain identity (Heaney et al. 2004). In the Philippines, it has been recorded from near sea level to 1,600 m asl (Rickart et al. 1993, Heaney et al. 2004). The records of this taxon from Xizang, Sichuan, Yunnan in mainland China, and the island of Taiwan (Smith and Xie 2008), may belong to Submyotodon moupinensis and S. latirostris.

This species is presumably present in a number of Southeast Asian protected areas. In South Asia, although there are no direct conservation measures in place, the species has been recorded from the Langtung National Park in Nepal (Molur et al. 2002). Further studies are needed on distribution, abundance, breeding biology, general ecology and population monitoring.