Taxonomic descriptions of eight new non-sterol-requiring mollicutes assigned to the genus Mesoplasma

Twenty mollicute strains isolated mainly from insect hosts were characterized and arranged into 8 new species in the genus Mesoplasma. Information on morphology, growth, hydrolysis of urea and arginine, and serological relationships are presented. The genome sizes ranged from 825 to 930 kbp, and the DNA base compositions (G + C contents) ranged from 26.5 to 31.6 mol%. M. pleciae sp. nov. was isolated from haemolymph of Plecia sp. in Peru. M. photuris sp. nov. was isolated from guts of Photuris spp. (Lampyridae) in Maryland, USA. M. syrphidae sp. nov. was isolated from guts of Syrphidae, Hesperiidae and Bombus sp. in Maryland. M. chauliocola sp. nov. was isolated from gut fluid of Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Cantharidae) in Maryland. M. corruscae sp. nov. was isolated from the gut of Ellychnia corrusca (Lampyridae) in Maryland. M. grammopterae sp. nov. was isolated from the guts of cerambycid (Grammoptera sp.) and cantharid beetles and an andrenid bee in Maryland. M. coleopterae sp. nov. was isolated from the gut of Chauliognathus sp. in Texas. M. tabanidae sp. nov. was isolated from the gut of Tabanus abactor in Texas.