Apparently from the Greek diaphoros for “differentiated” and lepis for “scales,” likely referring to the enlarged vertebral scale row as compared to the rest of the dorsal scales.

Relatively small-sized (<550mm SVL) dipsadine snakes restricted to the Darien in Panama and northern Andes of South America, with 16–25 maxillary teeth, 10–13 infralabials, 8 or 9 supralabials, fused prefrontals, internasals in contact, loreal present, 1–3 postoculars, 157–197 ventrals, 84–141 subcaudals, dorsal scales in (19–21)-19-17 rows, and expanded vertebral scale row with weak to strong double keeling.

This genus was validly described by Jan (1863), and re-described by Werner (1897). Werner (1901) later incorrectly deemed Jan’s name a nomen nudum, and re-described the genus and type species, designating a neotype. However, this was an error of interpretation, later realized by Werner himself (Werner 1929), and neither the re-description or neotype designation have any nomenclatural validity (see Bogert 1964). The lower subcaudal counts for some specimens likely represent truncated tails.