Myrmotherula is a genus of insectivorous passerine birds in the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. These are all small antbirds, measuring 9–11.5 cm (3.5–4.5 in).
Myrmotherula | |
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Unicolored antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Thamnophilidae |
Genus: | Myrmotherula Sclater, PL, 1858 |
Type species | |
Muscicapa pygmaea[1] Gmelin, 1789 | |
Species | |
See text |
The genus was erected by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858.[2] The type species is the pygmy antwren.[3]
The genus currently contains the following species:[4]
Streaked group:
- Moustached antwren (Myrmotherula ignota)
- Pygmy antwren (Myrmotherula brachyura)
- Guianan streaked antwren (Myrmotherula surinamensis)
- Amazonian streaked antwren (Myrmotherula multostriata)
- Pacific antwren (Myrmotherula pacifica)
- Cherrie's antwren (Myrmotherula cherriei)
- Klages's antwren (Myrmotherula klagesi)
- Stripe-chested antwren (Myrmotherula longicauda)
- Yellow-throated antwren (Myrmotherula ambigua)
- Sclater's antwren (Myrmotherula sclateri)
Grey group:
- White-flanked antwren (Myrmotherula axillaris)
- Silvery-flanked antwren (Myrmotherula luctuosa)
- Slaty antwren (Myrmotherula schisticolor)
- Rio Suno antwren (Myrmotherula sunensis)
- Salvadori's antwren (Myrmotherula minor)
- Long-winged antwren (Myrmotherula longipennis)
- Band-tailed antwren (Myrmotherula urosticta)
- Ihering's antwren (Myrmotherula iheringi)
- Rio de Janeiro antwren (Myrmotherula fluminensis)
- Yungas antwren (Myrmotherula grisea)
- Unicolored antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor)
- Alagoas antwren (Myrmotherula snowi)
- Plain-winged antwren (Myrmotherula behni)
- Grey antwren (Myrmotherula menetriesii)
- Leaden antwren (Myrmotherula assimilis)
Several species previously included in this genus as the "stipple-throated group" have now been transferred to a new genus, Epinecrophylla based on a 2006 study of nest architecture, foraging behaviour and vocal repertoire.[4][5] A molecular genetic study published in 2012 found that the genus was not monophyletic.[6] As a step in creating monophyletic genera, two species that were only distantly related to the other members of Myrmotherula, the rufous-bellied antwren and the plain-throated antwren, were moved to the newly erected genus Isleria.[4][6] A further study published in 2014 confirmed that the species remaining in Myrmotherula formed a paraphyletic group with respect to the genera Terenura, Formicivora, Stymphalornis and Myrmochanes.[7]