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The social structure and mating system of an Old World tent-making bat, Cynopterus sphinx, were investigated in western India over a two year period (1996-1998). Breeding populations of C. sphinx are subdivided into discrete harem social groups containing 1-38 reproductive females and a single territorial male. The same basic mode of harem social organization is maintained year-round, through each of two biannual reproductive periods. Census and mark-recapture data were used to estimate the breeding tenure of harem males, rates of natal and breeding dispersal, and the mode of new group formation. Microsatellite DNA markers were used to assess the degree of polygyny and the relative success of alternative male reproductive strategies. We tested predictions about the population genetic consequences of harem polygyny using estimates of effective population sizes based on the temporal (parent-offspring) variance in allelic frequencies.