Staurothele areolata is blackish-brown crustose lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It is found in western North America.
It is found in mountains of western North America up to , and in Sonoran Desert in Mexico and in Arizona, where it is common. In Southern California, it is less common, and is found on outcrops of limestone, gneiss, schist, and sandstone. It is found on acid or basic rocks, near water. It is found in the mountains of the United States Sierra Nevada range.
The thallus is crustose with deeply cracked areoles.