Myrmoderus Explained

Myrmoderus is a genus of passerine birds in the family Thamnophilidae.

The genus contains five species:^[1]

• Ferruginous-backed antbird (Myrmoderus ferrugineus)
• Cordillera Azul antbird (Myrmoderus eowilsoni)
• Scalloped antbird (Myrmoderus ruficauda)
• White-bibbed antbird (Myrmoderus loricatus)
• Squamate antbird (Myrmoderus squamosus)

The Cordillera Azul antbird was first described in 2018.^[2] The other four species were formerly included in the genus Myrmeciza. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that Myrmeciza, as then defined, was polyphyletic.^[3] In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera four species were moved to the resurrected genus Myrmoderus.^[1] The genus had originally been erected in 1909 by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway with the white-bibbed antbird as the type species.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . 2018 . Antbirds . World Bird List Version 8.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 30 January 2018 .
2. Moncrieff . A.E. . Johnson . O. . Lane . D.F. . Beck . J.R. . Angulo . F. . Fagan . J. . 2018 . A new species of antbird (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) from the Cordillera Azul, San Martin, Peru . Auk . 135 . 1 . 114–126 . 10.1642/AUK-17-97.1 . free .
3. Isler . M.L. . Bravo . G.A. . Brumfield . R.T. . 2013 . Taxonomic revision of Myrmeciza (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) into 12 genera based on phylogenetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data . Zootaxa . 3717 . 4 . 469–497 . 10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.3 . 26176119 .
4. Ridgway . Robert . Robert Ridgway . 1909 . New genera, species and subspecies of Formicariidae, Furnariidae, and Dendrocolaptidae . Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington . 22 . 69-74 [70] .