Strain YIM 132242(T), isolated from lichen collected from Pu'er, Yunnan Province, China, was short-rod-shaped, Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive. Growth of the strain was occurred at 10-39 degrees C (optimum, 28-35 degrees C), at pH 4.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and at salinities of 0-8% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-2%). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YIM 132242(T) belonged to the genus Paracoccus and had the highest levels of sequence similarity to Paracoccus aerius KCTC 42845(T) (97.0% similarity), Paracoccus sediminis CMB17(T) (96.8% similarity), and Paracoccus fontiphilus MVW-1(T) (96.4% similarity). The major fatty acid was identified as C-18:1 omega 7c (77.6%). The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10). Polar lipid analysis indicated the presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), an unidentified lipid (L), and three unidentified phospholipids (PL1-PL3). Based on the draft genome sequence, the DNA G + C content of the strain was 67.1 mol%, and the values of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) of strain YIM 132242(T) with Paracoccus aerius KCTC 42845(T) were 85.4% and 29.1%, respectively. On the basis of the data from this polyphasic characterization, strain YIM 132242(T) represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus lichenicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 132242(T) (= KCTC 72463(T) = CGMCC1.17191(T)).