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 3500m (11,500feet). The lichen is distributed in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau at elevations of 2700–. It is the only species of Melanohalea with cortical hairs. The lichen is named for its resemblance to Melanohalea exasperata.