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 recently-derived lineages of poison frogs.

Species contained within Phyllobates: