The dusky leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros ater) is a bat from the genus Hipposideros whose habitat extends from India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, New Guinea and Northern Australia. This species is counted in the H. bicolor species group and was formerly classified within that species. The genus name Hipposideros comes from the Greek words for "horse" (ἴππος) and "iron" (σίδηρος) and means "horseshoe"; a reference to the complex nose that species in this genus are known for. The generic designation ater is Latin for "black" and notes the relative dark color of this species's coat.