[1] It was circumscribed in 2013 by Ulf Arup, Patrik Frödén, and Ulrik Søchting,[1][2] and the type species is Athallia holocarpa.

[4] In A. scopularis, however, the cortex consists of hyphae (fungal filaments) that are arranged anticlinally, meaning they run perpendicular to the surface.

The apothecia (fruiting bodies) in Athallia are mainly zeorine, which means they lack a thalline margin.

The spores produced are polaridiblastic, meaning they are divided into two components (locules) separated by a central septum with a perforation.

Pycnidia, which are small, flask-shaped structures producing asexual spores (conidia), are typically orange in Athallia, but they are often absent.