The single species, B. bidens, is known only from northern Sulawesi between the towns of Gorontalo and Manado. Head and body length is about 138 mm and tail length is about 25 mm. General coloration is dark brown on the back, russet on the rump, and dull brownish on the undersides.
Males have a mantle, lateral tufts on the neck, and long hairs on the throat.
The color of these features, which are absent in females, ranges from light golden buffy to much darker brown. Boneia closely resembles Rousettus but is distinguished by having a skull with a longer occipital region, a relatively broader palate, and premaxillae separated in front. The dental characters that originally were said to distinguish Boneia are now known to be present in some species of Rousettus. Specimens have been taken at elevations of 200-1,060 meters. Boneia, like Rousettus, probably is capable of echolocation and, also like the latter, lives gregariously in caves.