''Formicivora'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of insectivorous birds in the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. These relatively small, long-tailed

antbird The antbirds are a large passerine bird family, Thamnophilidae, found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 230 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire ...

s are strongly

sexually dichromatic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecious species, which consis ...

. They are found in semi-open habitats in woodland and shrub in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. They have several rows of white spots on the wings. Males are usually darker below than they are above, and sometimes have a fringe of white on the side. The genus ''Formicivora'' was introduced by the English naturalist

William Swainson William Swainson Fellow of the Linnean Society, FLS, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (8 October 1789 – 6 December 1855), was an English ornithologist, Malacology, malacologist, Conchology, conchologist, entomologist and artist. Life Swains ...

in 1824. The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

is the southern white-fringed antwren. The name of the genus ''Formicivora'' combines the Latin words ''formica'' for "ant" and ''-vorus'' "eating" from ''vorare'' "to devour". The Sincorá antwren was first described in 2007. While initially placed in its own genus ''Stymphalornis'', the

marsh antwren The marsh antwren (''Formicivora acutirostris'') is an insectivorous bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is endemic to southeastern Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The South American Classifi ...

belongs in ''Formicivora''. In contrast, the

black-hooded antwren The black-hooded antwren (''Formicivora erythronotos'') is an Endangered Species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The black-hooded antwre ...

is not closely related to other ''Formicivora'' and may be better placed in its own genus. There are nine species:

References

Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by William Swainson {{Thamnophilidae-stub