Two Gram-reaction-negative strains, designated as B13^T and MA2-2, were isolated from two different aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures and characterized using a polyphasic approach to determine their taxonomic position. The two strains had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and were most closely related to Pinisolibacter ravus E9^T (97.36 %) and Siculibacillus lacustris SA-279^T (96.33 %). Cells were facultatively aerobic rods and motile with a single polar flagellum. The strains were able to degrade ethylbenzene as sole source of carbon and energy. The assembled genome of strain B13^T had a total length of 4.91 Mb and the DNA G+C content was 68.8 mol%. The predominant fatty acids (>5 % of the total) of strains B13^T and MA2-2 were C_18 : 1  ω7c/C_18 : 1  ω6c, C_16 : 1  ω7c/C_16 : 1  ω6c and C_16 : 0. The major ubiquinone of strain B13^T was Q10, while the major polar lipids were phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and a phospholipid. Based on phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic data, it is concluded that strains B13^T and MA2-2 are members of the genus Pinisolibacter and represent a novel species for which the name Pinisolibacter aquiterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is strain B13^T (=LMG 32346^T=NCAIM B.02665^T).

A novel carbon monoxide (CO)-oxidizing bacterial strain designated as SB112 ^T was enriched and isolated from Ilex aquifolium leaves from Tocil Wood Nature Reserve in Coventry, UK. The strain was Gram reaction-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile with a polar flagellum and non-spore-forming. Growth of strain SB112 ^T was observed at 10–45 °C, pH 6.0–12.0 and NaCl concentrations of 1–3%. The genomic DNA G+C content was 58.3 mol%, and the major fatty acids (>10%) of strain SB112 ^T were C _18 : 1 ω7c, C _18 : 1 ω7c 11-methyl and C _19 : 0 cyclo ω7c. Major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and a phospholipid. Strain SB112ᵀ contains ubiquinone-10 as the major respiratory quinone. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SB112 ^T formed a separate lineage within the family Phyllobacteriaceae , showing sequence identities of 97.7%, 97.6% and 97.5%, with its closest relatives Aminobacter niigataensis , Aminobacter aminovorans and Mesorhizobium plurifarium , respectively. Phylogenomic analyses using whole-genome sequences consistently placed this strain within the family Phyllobacteriaceae . However, its phylogenetic position did not correspond to any known genus within this family. The genome of strain SB112 ^T was found to possess the form II coxL gene, which encodes the large subunit of the CO dehydrogenase and potentially enables CO oxidation. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization with members of closely related genera yielded values below the thresholds for prokaryotic species delineation (95–96 and 70%, respectively). Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic, genomic and physiological properties, strain SB112 ^T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus Foliimonas within the family Phyllobacteriaceae for which the name Foliimonas ilicis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type of strain is SB112 ^T (=LMG 33802 ^T , =NCAIM B.02691 ^T ).