It was described as a new species in 1918 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The holotype had been collected in 1879[2]byW. DavisoninKlang, Malaysia. It was presented to Andersen by Allan Octavian Hume.[3]
It is considered a member of the bicolor species group within Hipposideros based on its morphology. The holotype is the only known specimen of this species.[4] As it was damaged, it is uncertain if the Malayan roundleaf bat is truly a distinct species.[1] Its species name "nequam" is Latin for "worthless."
The forearm length of the holotype was 46 mm (1.8 in). It had a large nose-leaf of 6 mm (0.24 in) in length and 8 mm (0.31 in) in width. Its first premolar is small and its nasal septum is very thin.[3]
The Malayan roundleaf bat is only known from the type locality of Klang, Malaysia.[1][3] As of 2016, it was evaluated as a data deficient species by the IUCN.[1]
^Murray, Susan W; Campbell, Polly; Kingston, Tigga; Zubaid, Akbar; Francis, Charles M; Kunz, Thomas H (2012). "Molecular phylogeny of hipposiderid bats from Southeast Asia and evidence of cryptic diversity". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 62 (2): 597–611. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.021. PMID22079552.
