Marcelaria benguelensis is a tropical species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) and crustose lichen in the family Trypetheliaceae.

The lichen was first formally described in 1885 by Swiss botanist Johannes Müller Argoviensis as a species of Bathelium.

[2] The taxon Laurera subbenguelensis described in 1987 by Dalip Kumar Upreti and Ajay Singh from specimens found in Kerala,[5] was later determined to be synonymous with Marcelaria benguelensis.

[2] Marcelaria benguelensis contains the secondary compounds parietin and teloschistin (both anthraquinone pigments) and lichexanthone.

[2] Laboratory tests have shown that extracts of the lichen have antimicrobial properties, which are attributed to the presence of lichexanthone.