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This species is known only from the Serra do Mar, in the state of São Paulo in south-eastern Brazil, up to 1,200m asl. Its distribution is likely to be at least a little wider than is currently known.

There is very little recent information, there have been few recent attempts to study or locate it, and there are no recent records.

It lives in primary forests in leaf-litter or on stones near water. It is often associated with small temporary pools (even boot prints) on the forest floor. Unlike most other species of Physalaemus, it breeds in temporary streams, where the eggs are deposited in foam nests in wide pools in the streams.

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There is no direct information on threats to this species, though it is likely to be impacted by clear-cutting, human settlement and tourism. The lack of records in recent years is reminiscent of the decline of other high-altitude, stream-breeding frogs in the wet tropics, and chytridiomycosis cannot be ruled out.

• 1.3 Tourism & recreation areas
• 5.3.5 Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded
• 1.1 Housing & urban areas
• 8.1.2 Named species

It used to at least occur at the Estação Biológica de Boracéia.

• 2.1 Site/area management
• 2.3 Habitat & natural process restoration
• 1.1 Site/area protection

Listed as Data Deficient in view of the absence of recent information on its extent of occurrence, status and ecological requirements.

• Caramaschi, U. and Caramaschi, E.P. 1991. Reassessment of the type-locality and synonymy of Physalaemus moreirae (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1937) (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Journal of Herpetology: 107-108.
• Cochran, D.M. 1955. Frogs of southeastern Brazil. United States National Museum Bulletin: 1-423.
• Heyer, W.R. 1985. New species of frogs from Boracéia, São Paulo, Brazil. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington: 657-671.
• Heyer, W.R., Rand, A.S., Cruz, C.A.G., Peixoto, O.L. and Nelson, C.E. 1990. Frogs of Boracéia. Arquivos de Zoologia: 231-410.