Hylophorbus rufescens Macleay, 1878
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Aire de répartition de l'espèce d'amphibien Hylophorbus rufescens
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Open encyclopedia reference
Hylophorbus rufescens is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and some nearby islands, and occurs in both West Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. Common name red Mawatta frog has been coined for it.
Three subspecies are recognized:
Hylophorbus rufescens rufescens Macleay, 1878
Hylophorbus rufescens extimus Zweifel, 1972
Hylophorbus rufescens myopicus Zweifel, 1972
However, it is a species complex that is not yet fully resolved. Because of continual uncertainties with delimitation of this species, its range cannot be determined accurately.
The Fergusson Island form, which may be distinct from H. rufescens proper, is infected by the nematode Moaciria moraveci.
Hylophorbus rufescens is a terrestrial frog living on the forest floor in tropical rainforests at elevations up to 3,570 m (11,710 ft) above sea level. It is nocturnal.
Wikipedia contributors, Hylophorbus rufescens; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T16:27:06.866558+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hylophorbus rufescens Macleay, 1878
- Name authority
- Macleay, 1878
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Microhylidae
- Genus
- Hylophorbus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyMicrohylidae Günther, 1858
- subfamilyAsterophryinae Günther, 1858
- genusHylophorbus Macleay, 1878
- speciesHylophorbus rufescens Macleay, 1878
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hylophorbus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Hylophorbus infulatus (Zweifel, 1972) | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus nigrinus Günther, 2001 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus proekes Kraus & Allison, 2009 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus sigridae Günther, Richards & Dahl, 2014 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus lengguru Ferreira, Kraus, Richards, Oliver, Günther, Trilaksono, Arida, Hamidy, Riyanto et al., 2023 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus monophonus Ferreira, Kraus, Richards, Oliver, Günther, Trilaksono, Arida, Hamidy, Riyanto et al., 2023 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus myopicus Zweifel, 1972 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus atrifasciatus Kraus, 2013 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus picoides Günther, 2001 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus richardsi Günther, 2001 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus sextus Günther, 2001 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hylophorbus tetraphonus Günther, 2001 | MicrohylidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Asterophrys rufescens (Macleay, 1878) (Macleay, 1878) | synonym |
| Hylophorbus rufescens rufescens Macleay, 1878 Macleay, 1878 | synonym |
| Hylophorbus ocellatus (Méhely, 1901) (Méhely, 1901) | synonym |
| Metopostira macra Van Kampen, 1906 Van Kampen, 1906 | synonym |
| Metopostira ocellata Méhely, 1901 Méhely, 1901 | synonym |
| Phrynomantis ocellatus (Méhely, 1901) (Méhely, 1901) | synonym |
| Phrynomantis rufescens (Macleay, 1878) (Macleay, 1878) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=664280 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3NGLX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.