This genus contains most of the species formerly known as Epipedobates. The main synapomorphy uniting this clade is the presence of granular dorsal skin. Other characteristics include dorsolateral stripes, first finger longer than or equal in length to second finger, and somewhat large size (usually over 30 mm SVL). Most species in this genus are moderately toxic and aposematic. These species are distributed mainly throughout the east-Andean versant and east into the Amazon basin. Two species, A. andina and A. erythromos occur on the Pacific side of the Andes in Colombia, although their assignment to this genus is based on very limited data.

This genus has been restricted to include far fewer species than previous arrangements. Characteristics include an expanded disc on the second toe and a pale ventral coloration in males. These frogs are primarily found in cloud forests in the western Andes of northwestern Ecuador and Colombia.

This genus has been restricted to five species occuring on the Pacific-side of the Andes in Ecuador and northern Peru.

Members of this genus possess a characteristic ventrolateral stripe and are cryptically colored. They occur from Costa Rica to southwestern Colombia below 1600 m elevation.

This is a newly-named genus which includes Brazilian species. Surprisingly, despite differences in size, A. castaneoticus and A. quinquevittatus have been shown to be more closely related to A. galactonotus than to the more similar-sized Ranitomeya. In any case, the species in this genus are not very closely related to each other, as shown by the very long branch lengths in species of this clade. Synapomorphies are all molecular. Grant et al. (2006) assigned A. captivus to this genus on the basis of dorsal patterning.

This genus has been restricted to five species which are distributed throughout southern Central America and northern South America. These species are typically large (>25 mm SVL), aposematic, and toxic.

This genus, despite criticisms from past authors, was retained by Grant et al. (2006) for the single species which was hypothesized to be sister to all other dendrobatines excluding Phyllobates. The validity of this genus is still in question by some. This species is restricted to a single tepui (Cerro de Yapacana) in Venezuela.

These species are all obligate egg-feeders which occur in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Chocoan Colombia, and parts of western Ecuador. This is a well-defined clade possessing several synapomorphies, including a cartilaginous omosternum, female tadpole transport, fused sacrum and eighth vertebra, and two medial larval 'teeth'.

Many of the original characteristics used to define Phyllobates (first finger longer than second and reduced finger discs) were in fact plesiomorphies among the Dendrobatidae and therefore not suitable as characters for defining a genus. Myers and Daly (1978) redefined Phyllobates by the presence of steroidal batrachotoxins. The present designation of Phyllobates appears to be monophyletic in all new genetic studies and is one of the more recent lineages of poison frogs.

Characterized by the first finger being shorter in length than the second. This genus has need of further revision as it contains two divergent clades. One, the minuta group, is composed entirely of trans-Andean species occuring throughout the mountains of Colombia and Ecuador. The other group, the ventrimaculata group, is entirely Amazonian and has the synapomorphy of pale-limb reticulation.

This genus was given sub-family status as the only member of Hyloxalinae in Grant et al. 2006 on the basis of its DNA sequences. It has been recommended this genus be revised to resurrect Cryptophyllobates in order to distinguish between some of the old Colostethus and the aposematic azureiventris. In its current state, this genus is distributed widely throughout the Andes and Amazon basin.