The genus was established by Kusnezov (1953) for four small male ants collected in the Tucumán region of Argentina.

Kusnezov recognized a single species, Amyrmex golbachi, which he placed in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, while noting peculiar features of the wing venation and abdominal morphology that introduced some uncertainty about its affinities.

Cuezzo (2000) resurrected Amyrmex, pointing out various distinctive features of morphology that do not agree with any known males of Forelius.

[2][3] Phylogenetic analyses by Ward & Brady (2009) placed Amyrmex as a sister genus to Leptanilloides and a member of the subfamily Leptanilloidinae (now Dorylinae),[4] rather than the Dolichoderinae to which it had been previously assigned.

[3] The geographical distribution of Amyrmex suggests it might be a senior synonym of the sister genus Asphinctanilloides.