 The population had been included with "Vespadelus pumilus", then placed as "Pipistrellus" ("Vespadelus") "pumilis" in 1993 and 1994 revisions, but reëlevated to species status in 1997.The publication in conservation listings had used the name "Eptesicus finlaysoni", synonymous with the later combination.The holotype was collected at Cossack, Western Australia.