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1. Testudinimyces gracilis gen. nov, sp. nov. and Astrotestudinimyces divisus gen. nov, sp. nov., two novel, deep-branching anaerobic gut fungal genera from tortoise faeces

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005921  

   Pratt, Carrie J.; Chandler, Emily E.; Youssef, Noha H.; Elshahed, Mostafa S. (May 2023, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF,Neocallimastigomycota) represent a basal zoosporic phylum within the kingdomFungi. Twenty genera are currently described, all of which were isolated from the digestive tracts of mammalian herbivores. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of novel AGF taxa from faecal samples of tortoises. Twenty-nine fungal isolates were obtained from seven different tortoise species. Phylogenetic analysis using the D1/D2 region of the LSU rRNA gene, ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1, and RNA polymerase II large subunit grouped all isolates into two distinct, deep-branching clades (clades T and B), with a high level of sequence divergence to their closest cultured relative (Khoyollomyces ramosus). Average amino acid identity values calculated using predicted peptides from the isolates’ transcriptomes ranged between 60.80–66.21  % (clade T), and 61.24–64.83  % (clade B) when compared to all other AGF taxa; values that are significantly below recently recommended thresholds for genus (85%) and family (75%) delineation in theNeocallimastigomycota. Both clades displayed a broader temperature growth range (20–45 °C, optimal 30 °C for clade T, and 30–42 °C, optimal 39 °C for clade B) compared to all other AGF taxa. Microscopic analysis demonstrated that strains from both clades produced filamentous hyphae, polycentric rhizoidal growth patterns, and monoflagellated zoospores. Isolates in clade T were characterized by the production of unbranched, predominantly narrow hyphae, and small zoospores, while isolates in clade B were characterized by the production of multiple sporangiophores and sporangia originating from a single central swelling resulting in large multi-sporangiated structures. Based on the unique phylogenetic positions, AAI values, and phenotypic characteristics, we propose to accommodate these isolates into two novel genera (TestudinimycesandAstrotestudinimyces), and species (T. gracilisandA. divisus) within the orderNeocallimastigales. The type species are strains T130A^T(T. gracilis) and B1.1^T(A. divisus). 

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2. Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov., isolated from floral nectar and honey bees

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004783  

   Alvarez-Perez, Sergio; Baker, Lydia J.; Morris, Megan M.; Tsuji, Kaoru; Sanchez, Vivianna A.; Fukami, Tadashi; Vannette, Rachel L.; Lievens, Bart; Hendry, Tory A. (May 2021, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   null (Ed.)

   A detailed evaluation of eight bacterial isolates from floral nectar and animal visitors to flowers shows evidence that they represent three novel species in the genus Acinetobacter . Phylogenomic analysis shows the closest relatives of these new isolates are Acinetobacter apis , Acinetobacter boissieri and Acinetobacter nectaris , previously described species associated with floral nectar and bees, but high genome-wide sequence divergence defines these isolates as novel species. Pairwise comparisons of the average nucleotide identity of the new isolates compared to known species is extremely low (<83 %), thus confirming that these samples are representative of three novel Acinetobacter species, for which the names Acinetobacter pollinis sp. nov., Acinetobacter baretiae sp. nov. and Acinetobacter rathckeae sp. nov. are proposed. The respective type strains are SCC477 T (=TSD-214 T =LMG 31655 T ), B10A T (=TSD-213 T =LMG 31702 T ) and EC24 T (=TSD-215 T =LMG 31703 T =DSM 111781 T ). 

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3. Phylogenomic analysis of the genus Rosenbergiella and description of Rosenbergiella gaditana sp. nov., Rosenbergiella metrosideri sp. nov., Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. epipactidis subsp. nov., Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. californiensis subsp. nov., Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. japonicus subsp. nov., Rosenbergiella nectarea subsp. nectarea subsp. nov. and Rosenbergiella nectarea subsp. apis subsp. nov., isolated from floral nectar and insects

   https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005777  

   Álvarez-Pérez, Sergio; de Vega, Clara; Vanoirbeek, Kristof; Tsuji, Kaoru; Jacquemyn, Hans; Fukami, Tadashi; Michiels, Chris; Lievens, Bart (March 2023, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology)

   The genus Rosenbergiella is one of the most frequent bacterial inhabitants of flowers and a usual member of the insect microbiota worldwide. To date, there is only one publicly available Rosenbergiella genome, corresponding to the type strain of Rosenbergiella nectarea (8N4 T ), which precludes a detailed analysis of intra-genus phylogenetic relationships. In this study, we obtained draft genomes of the type strains of the other Rosenbergiella species validly published to date ( R. australiborealis , R. collisarenosi and R. epipactidis ) and 23 additional isolates of flower and insect origin. Isolate S61 T , retrieved from the nectar of an Antirrhinum sp. flower collected in southern Spain, displayed low average nucleotide identity (ANI) and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (isDDH) values when compared with other Rosenbergiella members (≤86.5 and ≤29.8 %, respectively). Similarly, isolate JB07 T , which was obtained from the floral nectar of Metrosideros polymorpha plants in Hawaii (USA) had ≤95.7 % ANI and ≤64.1 % isDDH with other Rosenbergiella isolates. Therefore, our results support the description of two new Rosenbergiella species for which we propose the names Rosenbergiella gaditana sp. nov. (type strain: S61 T =NCCB 100789 T =DSM 111181 T ) and Rosenbergiella metrosideri sp. nov. (JB07 T =NCCB 100888 T =LMG 32616 T ). Additionally, some R. epipactidis and R. nectarea isolates showed isDDH values<79 % with other conspecific isolates, which suggests that these species include subspecies for which we propose the names Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. epipactidis subsp. nov. (S256 T =CECT 8502 T =LMG 27956 T ), Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. californiensis subsp. nov. (FR72 T =NCCB 100898 T =LMG 32786 T ), Rosenbergiella epipactidis subsp. japonicus subsp. nov. (K24 T =NCCB 100924 T =LMG 32785 T ), Rosenbergiella nectarea subsp. nectarea subsp. nov. (8N4 T = DSM 24150 T = LMG 26121 T ) and Rosenbergiella nectarea subsp. apis subsp. nov. (B1A T =NCCB 100810 T = DSM 111763 T ), respectively. Finally, we present the first phylogenomic analysis of the genus Rosenbergiella and update the formal description of the species R. australiborealis , R. collisarenosi , R. epipactidis and R. nectarea based on new genomic and phenotypic information. 

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4. Description of Gopheromyces tardescens , gen. nov., sp.nov., Gigasporangiomyces pilosus, gen. nov., sp.nov., Kelyphomyces adhaerens, gen. nov., sp. nov., proposal of Testudinimycetales ord. nov. and Testudinimycetaceae fam. nov., and emended description of the order Neocallimastigales

   https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.20.689491  

   Morris, Alexandria; Mills, Taylor; Miller, Samuel L; Pratt, Carrie J; Wang, Yan; Elshahed, Mostafa S; Youssef, Noha H; Vinzelj, Julia (November 2025, bioRxiv)

   Abstract Anaerobic gut fungi (AGF,Neocallimastigomycota) represent a phylum of zoospore-producing fungi inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of herbivores. Twenty mammalian-affiliated genera (M-AGF) and two tortoise-affiliated genera (T-AGF) have been described so far. Here, we report on three additional novel T-AGF isolates obtained from Texas and sulcata tortoises. Phylogenetic analysis using the D1-D2 regions of the large ribosomal RNA subunit (D1-D2 LSU), RNA polymerase II large subunit (RPB1), internal transcribed spacer-1 region (ITS1), and transcriptomics-enabled phylogenomic analysis clustered these strains into three distinct, deep-branching clades, closely related to previously described T-AGF genusTestudinimyces. All isolates displayed filamentous rhizoidal growth patterns and produced monoflagellated zoospores. Unique morphological characteristics included the production of elongated, thick, nucleated structures in GX isolates, the formation of thin hair-like projections on sporangial walls in SR isolates, and irregularly shaped sporangia in TM isolates. All strains grew optimally at 32-35 °C and showed distinct substrate utilization capacity (e.g., growth on pectin, chitin, galactose). LSU analyses revealed GX isolates as the first cultured representatives of tortoise-affiliated but previously uncultured lineage NY56, while SR and TM strains have not been encountered in prior culture-independent AGF surveys. We propose to accommodate these isolates in three new genera and species –Gopheromyces tardescens(GXA2),Gigasporangiomyces pilosus(SR0.6), andKelyphomyces adhaerens(TM0.3). Further, based on the ecological, physiological, and phylogenetic distinctions between T-AGF and M-AGF, we propose to establish a new family (Testudinimycetaceae) to accommodate the generaTestudinimyces, Gopheromyces,Gigasporangiomyces,andKelyphomyces, within a new order (Testudinimycetales), and amend the description ofNeocallimastigalesto circumscribe M-AGF genera only. 

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5. Corrieopone nouragues gen. nov., sp. nov., a new Ponerinae from French Guiana (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1074.75551  

   Esteves, Flavia A.; Fisher, Brian L. (December 2021, ZooKeys)

   This study describes the worker and queen castes of the Neotropical ponerine Corrieopone nouragues gen. nov. , sp. nov. , an ant from the tropical rainforest in French Guiana. Worker morphology of the taxon is compared with those of other Ponerinae and the similarities between them are discussed, refining the definition of character states for some diagnostic characters at the generic level, providing an identification key to the Neotropical genera, and making some adjustments to the taxonomic framework within the subfamily. Descriptions, diagnosis, character discussion, identification key, and glossary are illustrated with more than 300 images and line drawings. Open science is supported by providing access to measurement data for specimens of the new genus, a matrix of character states for all ponerine taxa evaluated in this study, and specimen data for all examined material. The new or revived combinations presented here are Pachycondyla procidua Emery, comb. rev. , Neoponera curiosa (Mackay and Mackay), comb. nov. , Leptogenys butteli (Forel), comb. nov. , and Bothroponera escherichi (Forel), comb. nov. In addition, Leptogenys butteli is synonymized with Leptogenys myops (Emery), syn. nov. 

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