Myrmotherula

Myrmotherula is a genus of insectivorous passerine birds in the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. These are all small antbirds, measuring 9 - 11.5 cm.

The genus was erected by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858. The type species is the pygmy antwren.

The genus currently contains the following species:

Streaked group: Grey 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)
 * 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. A molecular genetic study published in 2012 found that the genus was not monophyletic. 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. 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.