The type species of the lichen genus Variolaria is V. discoidea. The name is solely based on a Hoffmann (1784) illustration. To stabilize the nomenclature, we have designated a lectotype and an epitype from Germany, for which we generated molecular data. The species was formerly placed in the genus Pertusaria as P. albescens, and is presently correctly named Lepra albescens. Key words: lichens, nomenclature, Pertusariales, taxonomy.