The holotype had been collected in 1903 by Goldman and Edward William Nelson at "Papayo", given as 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Acapulco, Mexico.

The lower lip bears a central pad surrounded by a semi-circular row of wart-like structures.

[8] The fur is thick and soft, and can be dark grey, but is more commonly reddish or yellowish, with a distinct yellow patch over the shoulders in males.

[5] Within this range it inhabits a wide variety of forest types, elevations up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level.

The bat is most commonly found in the sub-canopy or understory of tropical forests, close to water or agricultural land.