Myrmotherula

Myrmotherula
Unicolored antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
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

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).

Taxonomy

The genus Myrmotherula was erected by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858.[2] The type species is the pygmy antwren.[3] Myrmotherula is a diminutive of the name Myrmothera that had been introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot for the antpittas.[4] Myrmothera combines the Ancient Greek μυρμος/murmos meaning "ant" with -θηρας/-thēras meaning "hunter".[5]

The genus currently contains the following species:[6]

Streaked group:

ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Moustached antwrenMyrmotherula ignotawestern Amazonia and Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena
Pygmy antwrenMyrmotherula brachyuraAmazonia
Guianan streaked antwrenMyrmotherula surinamensisGiuana Shield
Amazonian streaked antwrenMyrmotherula multostriataAmazonia
Pacific antwrenMyrmotherula pacificaTumbes-Chocó-Magdalena
Cherrie's antwrenMyrmotherula cherrieinorthern Amazonia
Klages's antwrenMyrmotherula klagesiBranco and lower Amazon River
Stripe-chested antwrenMyrmotherula longicaudaeastern foothills of northern Andes
-Yellow-throated antwrenMyrmotherula ambiguanorth of upper Rio Negro
Sclater's antwrenMyrmotherula sclaterisouthern Amazonia

Grey group:

ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
White-flanked antwrenMyrmotherula axilliarisCentral America and northern South America
Silvery-flanked antwrenMyrmotherula luctuosaAtlantic Forest
Slaty antwrenMyrmotherula schisticolorCentral America and Northern Andes
-Rio Suno antwrenMyrmotherula sunensissparse range across western Amazonia
Salvadori's antwrenMyrmotherula minormid Atlantic Forest
Long-winged antwrenMyrmotherula longipennisAmazonia
Band-tailed antwrenMyrmotherula urostictaBahia coastal forests
Ihering's antwrenMyrmotherula iheringisouthern Amazonia
-Rio de Janeiro antwrenMyrmotherula fluminensisSerra dos Órgãos
Yungas antwrenMyrmotherula griseaYungas
Unicolored antwrenMyrmotherula unicolorsouthern Atlantic Forest
Alagoas antwrenMyrmotherula snowiPernambuco coastal forests
-Plain-winged antwrenMyrmotherula behnitepuis and sparsely across northern Andes
Grey antwrenMyrmotherula menestriesiiAmazonia
Leaden antwrenMyrmotherula assimilisriverine Amazonia

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.[6][7] A molecular genetic study published in 2012 found that the genus was not monophyletic.[8] 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.[6][8] 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.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Thamnophilidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. ↑ Sclater, Philip Lutley (1858). "Synopsis of the American Ant-birds (Formicariidae). Part II containing the Formicivorinae or Ant-wrens". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Part 26: 232–254 [234].
  3. ↑ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1951). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 7. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 188.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. "Myrmotherula". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Jobling, James A. "Myrmothera". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Antbirds". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  7. ↑ Isler, M.L.; Lacerda, D.R.; Isler, P.R.; Hackett, S.J.; Rosenberg, K.V.; Brumfield, R.T. (2006). "Epinecrophylla, a new genus of antwrens (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 119 (4): 522–527. doi:10.2988/0006-324X(2006)119[522:EANGOA]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86322876.
  8. 1 2 Bravo, G.A.; Chesser, R.T.; Brumfield, R.T. (2012). "Isleria, a new genus of antwren (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)". Zootaxa. 3195: 61–67. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3195.1.5.
  9. ↑ Bravo, G.A.; Remsen, J.V.; Brumfield, R.T. (2014). "Adaptive processes drive ecomorphological convergent evolution in antwrens (Thamnophilidae)". Evolution. 68 (10): 2757–2774. doi:10.1111/evo.12506. PMID 25135629. S2CID 25309573. See also Supporting Information Figure S.1


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