Both the genus name Nevilleiella, and the epithet of the type species, marchantii,[2] honour Western Australian botanist Neville Graeme Marchant, who accompanied the authors during their field work.

These lichens are characterised by almost spherical, pustule-like structures or by discrete, widely spread areoles (small, cracked patches) that do not cover the entire surface.

The areoles themselves are quite diverse in shape, ranging from convex and warty to almost spherical, and they occasionally develop schizidia-like formations, which are small, split-off parts of the lichen.

The true exciple, the outer layer of tissue surrounding the reproductive cells, also has a tightly packed cellular structure with a distinct matrix at the base.

[4] Nevilleiella lichens typically develop as crusty layer on clayey soil in salt-rich environments, as well as in open spaces or mallee regions.