"Of the species in its genus, the eastern red bat is most closely related to other red bats, with which they form a monophyly.Its closest relatives are the Pfeiffer's red bat ("Lasiurus pfeifferi"), Seminole bat ("L. seminolus"), cinnamon red bat ("L. varius"), desert red bat ("L. blossevillii"), saline red bat ("L. salinae"), and the greater red bat ("L. atratus").