[citation needed] The white-bellied antbird was described by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1825 and given the binomial name Drymophila longipes.

[3] It was moved to genus Myrmeciza in 1841 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray with it as the type species.

Adult males of the nominate subspecies M. l. longipes have a cinnamon rufous crown, upperparts, wings, and tail.

Adult females have similar upperparts to males with the addition of black bars near the end of their wing coverts.

M. l. boucardi males have a gray crown; females are richer ochraceous on their throat and breast than the nominate.

The subspecies are found thus:[6][8][9][10][11][12][excessive citations] The white-bellied antbird primarily inhabits the floor and understorey of moderately humid semi-deciduous forest.

Individuals, pairs, and family groups forage in dense vegetation mostly on the ground and also up to about 1 m (3 ft) above it.

[6][8][9] The white-bellied antbird's breeding season has not been fully defined and appears to vary geographically, but it overall spans at least March to June.

[6] The species' calls include "a short, liquid rattle" and a "long...thin, downslurred whistle, sometimes abbreviated".