Lecanora layana is described as new to science based on collections from throughout temperate eastern North America. The species is sorediate and both morphologically and chemically similar to L. nothocaesiella, differing in the production of stictic acid in addition to atranorin and zeorin. As apothecia are unknown in L. layana, the hypothesized generic placement and relationship with L. nothocaesiella were confirmed with molecular phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU sequence data.