Gryllotalpicola gen. nov., with descriptions of Gryllotalpicola koreensis sp. nov., Gryllotalpicola daejeonensis sp. nov. and Gryllotalpicola kribbensis sp. nov. from the gut of the African mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana, and reclassification of Curtobacterium ginsengisoli as Gryllotalpicola ginsengisoli comb. nov.

Strains RU-16(T), RU-28, RU-04(T) and PU-02(T) were isolated from the gut of the African mole cricket, Gryllotalpa africana. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strains belonged to the family Microbacteriaceae. All four strains were most closely related to Curtobacterium ginsengisoli DCY26(T) (below 97% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). These isolates were Gram-stain-positive, motile (by gliding), rod-shaped and exhibited ivory-coloured colonies. Their chemotaxonomic properties included MK-11 as the major respiratory quinone, ornithine as the cell-wall diamino acid, acetyl as the acyl type of the peptidoglycan, cyclohexyl-C(17:0) as the major fatty acid and phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol as the major polar lipids. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, we propose a new genus in the family Microbacteriaceae, Gryllotalpicola gen. nov., with three novel species, Gryllotalpicola daejeonensis sp. nov. (type strain RU-04(T)  =KCTC 13809(T)  =JCM 17590(T)), Gryllotalpicola koreensis sp. nov. (type strain RU-16(T)  = KCTC 13810(T)  =JCM 17591(T)) and Gryllotalpicola kribbensis sp. nov. (type strain PU-02(T)  =KCTC 13808(T)  =JCM 17593(T)). Gryllotalpicola koreensis is the type species of the genus. Additionally, we propose that Curtobacterium ginsengisoli should be reclassified in the genus as Gryllotalpicola ginsengisoli comb. nov. (type strain DCY26(T)  =KCTC 13163(T)  = JCM 14773(T)).