Since 2008 there has been a remarkable advance in Venezuelan lichenology. Evidence of this can be seen in many aspects such as the number of species reported for the country (1320 spp reported for Venezuela up to 2008 to 1801sppin2020); the amount of projects (from three in 2008 to 26 in 2020) and the amount of researchers and students that have been added to the study of lichens against all odds including the precarious research opportunities, hyperinflated economy and political disaster of this country. This talk will present the most recent findings and the analysis of the present data of biodiversity and richness comparing to pre-2008 data.From 2008 to 2020 biodiversity has increased tremendously in previously poor studied bioregions. The Andes and the Guyana shield are still the most diverse, but there has been an increase in 20% to 100% of richness in all nine bioregions. The two most visited areas for lichen collections in Venezuela have been traditionally the Andes and the territories south of the Orinoco, the Guayana region. This last still stands as the region with the most endemic potential, but a rise can also be seen in the rest of the country. In an analysis of the family structure in each region, where Parmeliaceae, Cladoniaceae and Physciaceae had the first places in amount of species, Graphidaceae, Trypetheliaceae and Pyrenulaceae are now in the first places of most regions. This agrees more with recent studies that place microlichens and specifically this last three families as the most diverse component of tropical lichen communities. Great efforts are needed to continue with lichenological inventories in Venezuela. There are still many unexplored geographical regions with need of lichenological characterization. Many of these regions need immediate attention because of the intense ecological disturbance they are currently experiencing.
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