See text Myrmelastes is a genus of passerine birds in the family Thamnophilidae.

Clyde Todd in 1927 with spot-winged antbird as the type species.

[3] A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that the plumbeous antbird which had previously been placed in the genus Myrmeciza was instead a member of a clade containing species in the genus Schistocichla.

[4] The plumbeous antbird was the type species of the genus Myrmelastes which had been introduced by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858.

They were promoted to species status based on detailed studies of the plumage and vocal characteristics.