This antwren lives in South American forests. Males have a black crown and nape, with chestnut on the lower back and bend of the wing. A Brazilian bird guide describes it searching leaves and vines in the canopy.
The male has a black crown and nape above olive-colored upperparts. The lower back, bend of the wing, and nearby small coverts are bright chestnut. The female has a brownish crown and lacks chestnut on the wings.
A Brazilian bird guide says it moves mainly through the canopy and searches acrobatically among leaves at branch tips and on vines. The account places it in terra firme and transitional forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.