This genus was discussed by famous author and lepidopterologist Vladimir Nabokov in 1945.

However, he used the name Itylos, which actually refers to a closely related but distinct genus described in 1921.

That was not known in his time however, as the relationships of the butterflies discussed by Nabokov were only resolved in 1993.

In any case, Nivalis was proposed as a replacement name by Emilio Balletto but for technical reasons[1] turned out to be unavailable.

The latter researcher, in cooperation with Kurt Johnson, since then described many taxa new to science.