The species was first scientifically described by lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres in 2015, from a specimen they collected from the Ecotel garden in Fazendinha, (municipality of Macapá, state of Amapá, Brazil).

Aptroot and Cáceres named the species pycnidiata, referring to the distinctive pycnidia (asexual reproductive structures) of the lichen.

Unlike some other lichens, its medulla (the layer beneath the upper cortex of the thallus) does not have a distinct colour, nor does it contain calcium oxalate crystals.

The lichen's hyphae (threadlike fungal cells) are hyaline, somewhat brittle, and 2–3 μm wide, giving them a rough texture due to superficial lecanoric acid crystals.

[2] As of the time of its original publication, Nyungwea pycnidiata is only known to occur at the type locality, on termite nests on trees in a garden in Brazil.