Myrmotherula
Genus of birds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Unicolored antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor) | |
Scientific 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 | |
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:
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Moustached antwren | Myrmotherula ignota | western Amazonia and Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena |
 | Pygmy antwren | Myrmotherula brachyura | Amazonia |
.jpg) | Guianan streaked antwren | Myrmotherula surinamensis | Giuana Shield |
| - | Amazonian streaked antwren | Myrmotherula multostriata | Amazonia |
.jpg) | Pacific antwren | Myrmotherula pacifica | Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena |
_,_Novo_Airão,_Amazonas,_Brazil.jpg) | Cherrie's antwren | Myrmotherula cherriei | northern Amazonia |
,_Anavilhanas,_Novo_Airão,_Amazonas,_Brazil_02.jpg) | Klages's antwren | Myrmotherula klagesi | Branco and lower Amazon River |
.jpg) | Stripe-chested antwren | Myrmotherula longicauda | eastern foothills of northern Andes |
| - | Yellow-throated antwren | Myrmotherula ambigua | north of upper Rio Negro |
| - | Sclater's antwren | Myrmotherula sclateri | southern Amazonia |
Grey group:
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
;_Ramal_do_Noca,_Rio_Branco,_Acre_,_Brazil.jpg) | White-flanked antwren | Myrmotherula axilliaris | Central America and northern South America |
.jpg) | Silvery-flanked antwren | Myrmotherula luctuosa | Atlantic Forest |
| - | Slaty antwren | Myrmotherula schisticolor | Central America and Northern Andes |
| - | Rio Suno antwren | Myrmotherula sunensis | sparse range across western Amazonia |
;_São_Sebastião;_São_Paulo,_Brazil.jpg) | Salvadori's antwren | Myrmotherula minor | mid Atlantic Forest |
.jpg) | Long-winged antwren | Myrmotherula longipennis | Amazonia |
,_Pau_Brasil_National_Park,_Porto_Seguro,_Bahia,_Brazil.jpg) | Band-tailed antwren | Myrmotherula urosticta | Bahia coastal forests |
;_Atalaia_do_Norte,_Amazonas,_Brazil_(cropped).jpg) | Ihering's antwren | Myrmotherula iheringi | southern Amazonia |
| - | Rio de Janeiro antwren | Myrmotherula fluminensis | Serra dos Órgãos |
| - | Yungas antwren | Myrmotherula grisea | Yungas |
 | Unicolored antwren | Myrmotherula unicolor | southern Atlantic Forest |
| - | Alagoas antwren | Myrmotherula snowi | Pernambuco coastal forests |
| - | Plain-winged antwren | Myrmotherula behni | tepuis and sparsely across northern Andes |
;_Serra_do_Navio,_Amapá,_Brazil.jpg) | Grey antwren | Myrmotherula menestriesii | Amazonia |
.jpg) | Leaden antwren | Myrmotherula assimilis | riverine 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]
