Flabelloporina is distinguished by its unique thallus (lichen body) structure, which produces numerous small, fan-shaped outgrowths called squamules.

Although placed in the genus Porina, the authors noted that the thallus morphology was "hitherto unknown within the family, since only species with cylindrical or disc-shaped isidia have been described".

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) ribosomal DNA revealed that F. squamulifera forms a distinct lineage separate from other genera with black, exposed perithecia (fruiting bodies) such as Pseudosagedia and Trichothelium.

[4] The genus name Flabelloporina refers to the distinctive flabelliform (fan-shaped) squamules produced on the thallus surface, which distinguish it morphologically from all other genera in Porinaceae.

The thallus itself is 60–80 μm thick, with a thin, colourless outer layer (upper cortex) composed of tightly packed fungal filaments (hyphae).

The phyllidia have smooth or slightly notched (crenulate) edges, become branched with age, and are easily detached from the thallus, allowing the lichen to spread.

It was originally discovered in Costa Rica, specifically in the Pacific La Amistad Conservation Area, Las Tablas Protected Zone, at an elevation of 1,600–1,700 m (5,200–5,600 ft) above sea level.

It was found covering almost the entire surface of a single tree trunk, demonstrating its ability to colonise extensively under favourable conditions.

The species typically inhabits the understory of humid tropical rainforests, where it likely benefits from the stable, moist conditions provided by the forest canopy.