It is found in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey and in Ukraine, where it grows parasitically on the apothecia (fruiting structures) of the saxicolous (rock-dwelling) lichen Candelariella aurella.

[2] The conidiomata of Phoma candelariellae are in the form of pycnidia—spherical to pear-shaped reproductive structures, that begin more or less immersed in the host tissue, but later burst partially through the surface.

These black spots are covered by a clear gelatinous sheath; their dimensions are typically in the range 98.5−117 by 74−103 μm.

A 12 μm-diameter ostiole provides an opening for the release of abundant conidia, which themselves are more or less spherical with a smooth wall and a gelatinous sheath, contain a single internal oil droplet, and measure about 5 μm across.

[1] At the time of its original publication, Phoma candelariellae had been documented from only two localities in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey.