This small antwren occurs in lowland eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and the southern Amazonian region of Brazil. Males have dark breasts and white wing spots, while females are lighter grey above with yellowish-brown underparts. It searches leaves and vines for insects in the forest understory.
It is about 8.5–9.5 cm long. Males are slate-grey above with white-tipped black wing coverts and a black throat and breast. Females are light blue-grey above, with a whitish throat and pale yellowish-brown underparts.
It uses the middle and lower levels of lowland evergreen forest. In south-eastern Peru, the source says the Bamboo Antwren form is restricted to Guadua bamboo; elsewhere the bird uses vine growth with or without bamboo. It eats insects and probably spiders.
It forages alone, in pairs, or in family groups, sometimes with mixed flocks of other insect-eating birds. It gleans from the undersides of vegetation and makes short sallies to nearby leaves.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.