Defined in Grant et al. (2006) as essentially the 'true poison frogs'. These species are all brightly colored and toxic. Synapomorphies include: smooth dorsal skin, dorsolateral stripes typically absent, larvae deposited in phytotelmata, ability to sequester alkaloids (Grant et al., 2006).
Genera contained within Dendrobatinae:
| Adelphobates | (3 species) | Grant et al., 2006 |
| Dendrobates | (5 species) | Wagler, 1830 |
| Excidobates | (2 species) | Twomey and Brown, 2008 |
| Minyobates | (1 species) | Myers, 1987 |
| Oophaga | (9 species) | Bauer, 1994 |
| Phyllobates | (5 species) | Dumeril and Bibron, 1841 |
| Ranitomeya | (29 species) | Bauer, 1988 |