Regardless of the correct scientific name, the English names mouse-coloured tapaculo and Serra do Mar tapaculo have both been used for the relatively dark species of the Serra do Mar region, but neither is perfect: Most tapaculos of the genus Scytalopus are largely mouse-grey in colour, and what was included in the mouse-coloured tapaculo until 2005 is very different from what would be included in the mouse-coloured tapaculo today. Additionally, the relatively pale species of the central and southern Espinhaço Mountains has been called the mouse-coloured tapaculo (used briefly by Comitê Brasileiro de Registros Ornitológicos, but not anymore), which could add additional confusion. The name Serra do Mar tapaculo for the species of the Serra do Mar region is also potentially misleading, as it is not entirely restricted to this mountain range, but also occurs far inland in Paraná and Santa Catarina.