It occurs in moist habitats and is strongly associated with multistratal evergreen forests (Eisenberg 1989). It has been also reported in Mexico in secondary forests, crop-lands and grasslands (de Grammont pers. comm.). Roosting groups range from one to nine bats (Eisenberg 1989). It feeds on small to tiny insects, including moths. It comes out to forage during the last daylight and fly in beats, repeating the same path again and again (Emmons and Feer 1997). This species forages throughout the night as an aerial insectivore in background cluttered space. There is some shifting in the composition of the social group, males tend to defend individual females during breeding when they exist as monogamous pairs (Bradbury and Vehrencamp 1977).

This species extends from Chiapas and Tabasco (Mexico) to southeastern Brazil, Peru, northern Bolivia, Guianas, Margarita Island (Venezuela), and Trinidad and Tobago (Simmons 2005). It is not known to occur in Nicaragua's highlands (Medina pers. comm.).

The recommended conservation action is to reduce habitat conversion. In Mexico it is listed as subject to special protection under NOM - 059 - SEMARNAT - 2001 (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.).