Spilonemella Henssen & Tønsberg is described as a new genus and placed in the Coccocarpiaceae. The new taxa, S. americana Henssen & Tønsberg and S. japonica Henssen, are described. The species of Spilonemella have a minutely fruticose thallus on a more or less well-developed blue-green prothallus. The photobionts are scytonemoid. The thallus is composed of ascending to erect branched lobes with opuntioid budding. The buds easily break off and function as diaspores. Lobes develop either from diaspores or by lichenization of filaments of the cyanobionts on the prothallus. In apothecial development and structure, the new genus corresponds to those of the related Spilonema, but differs by the presence of a cupular exciple.