The Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba)..

The Honduran white bat was described as a new species, Ectophylla alba, in 1892 by American zoologist Harrison Allen.[4] The holotype that Allen used to describe the new genus and species was collected by Charles Haskins Townsend near the Coco River in Honduras in 1887.[5] It belongs to the leaf-nosed bat family, Phyllostomidae. Within Phyllostomidae, it is in the subfamily Stenodermatinae. MacConnell's bat was once included in the genus Ectophylla, but it is now monotypic within Mesophylla.[6] Despite no longer being classified in the same genus, MacConnell's bat and the Honduran white bat are sister taxa—they are each other's closest relative.[3] The Honduran white bat is the only member of Ectophylla, meaning it is a monotypic genus.[6] The genus name "Ectophylla" is from Ancient Greek "ektós" meaning "out" and "phúllon" meaning "leaf," referring to its nose-leaf. Its species name "alba" comes from Latin "albus" meaning "white."[7]