The lichen was formally described as a new species by lichenologists Bibiana Moncada and Robert Lücking.

The type specimen was collected near the La Laguna de Chisacá (Cundinamarca) at an altitude of 3,724 m (12,218 ft).

The species epithet refers to its resemblance to and close association with Sticta humboldtii.

[2] Sticta parahumboldtii inhabits the Colombian Andes, growing in high-andine forests and páramo vegetation, at elevations ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 m (9,800 to 13,100 ft), in shaded to semi-exposed microsites.

Sticta parahumboldtii typically grows on mossy soil and epiphytically, frequently found in association with species of Metzgeria, Frullania, and Leptogium.