The genus
Automolus was introduced in 1853 by the German naturalist
Ludwig Reichenbach to accommodate the taxon
Sphenura sulphurascens Lichtenstein, now treated as a
subspecies of the
white-eyed foliage-gleaner. The name is from the
Ancient Greek automolos meaning "deserter".
Species The genus contains 11 species: The
tepui foliage-gleaner has been placed in this genus, but behavior, voice, and
morphology all point to it belonging in
Syndactyla, and molecular data confirmed this hypothesis. The
eastern woodhaunter was formerly placed in its own genus
Hyloctistes but molecular evidence showed that it was nested in
Automolus. The
ruddy foliage-gleaner and the
Santa Marta foliage-gleaner, formerly placed in
Automolus, are actually more closely related to
Clibanornis foliage-gleaners. ==References==