Melanohalea subexasperata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.

Found in China, it was formally described as a new species in 2010 by Fan-Ge Meng and Hai-Ying Wang.

The type was collected from Tianshenqiao, Shangri-La City (Yunnan Province), at an altitude of 3,500 m (11,500 ft).

The lichen is distributed in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau at elevations of 2,700–3,500 m (8,900–11,500 ft).

The lichen is named for its resemblance to Melanohalea exasperata.