The species is endemic to Brazil.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry savanna.
Known in Brazil as "corozinho-da-caatinga".
(Whitney & Pacheco, 2000): NOTE(PHY,TAX,SEQ: Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Caatinga Antwren is not a member of the Herpsilochmus clade but is a deep-branch sister to the monotypic genus Biatas. Reassign to monotypic Radinopsyche gen. nov. Whitney, Br
Africa (entire continent rather than south of Sahara)
AN
Antarctica
AO
Atlantic Ocean
AU
Australasia (Wallacea (Indonesian islands east of Wallace's line), New Guinea and its islands, Australia, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu)
PAL
Eurasia (Europe, Asia from the Middle East through central Asia north of the Himalayas, Siberia and northern China to Japan)
IO
Indian Ocean
LA
Latin America (Middle and South America)
MA
Middle America (Mexico through Panama)
NA
North America (includes the Caribbean)
NO
Northern oceans
OR
Oriental Region (South Asia from Pakistan to Taiwan, plus Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Greater Sundas)