[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the chestnut-belted gnateater by George Robert Gray in 1840.

They are sexually dimorphic, with various shades of brown, rufous, olive, white, grey and black being the dominating colours.

They feed mostly using two methods; one is to perch above the forest floor until prey is spotted, then lunge down to the ground to snatch it; having landed on the ground to snatch a prey item, it will not remain on the forest floor for more than a couple of seconds.

The second method used by gnateaters is to glean insects directly from the foliage, trunks, and branches of low vegetation.

Typical prey items include spiders, caterpillars, insect larvae, grasshoppers and beetles; individuals of some species have also been observed eating fruit, and in one case a frog.