Mormopterus sometimes has been treated as a subgenus of Tadarida, but there now has been almost universal acceptance that the two are generically distinct. He also suggested that M. astrolabiensis of the Cape York Peninsula of northern Queensland is a species distinct from M. beccarii and that another species, with affinity to M. jugularis, is present at Hermannsburg in the south-central Northern Territory. Based on electrophoretic analyses, Adams et al. These bats, found in tropical forests, woodlands, open areas, and cities, roost mainly in roofs and tree hollows. They usually forage for insects above the tree canopy, water holes, and creeks but sometimes scurry after prey on the ground.
Flight is swift and direct.
Colonies vary in number from fewer than 10 to several hundred individuals. Development of young was slow, but females reached sexual maturity before 1 year.