Phylogenetic analysis of 'Actinoplanes ianthinogenes' Coronelli et al. 1974 and 'Actinoplanes ianthinogenes subsp. octamycini' Gauze et al. 1979 based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing data revealed that these organisms form a clade in the family Micromonosporaceae. Morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of strains of these species were consistent with those of members of the genus Actinoplanes. Morphological, DNA-DNA hybridization, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic data showed that 'A. ianthinogenes' and 'A. ianthinogenes subsp. octamycini' can be easily differentiated from each other and that they merit separate species status. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and DNA-DNA hybridization data, it is concluded that 'A. ianthinogenes' and 'A. ianthinogenes subsp. octamycini' should be assigned the status of two novel species: Actinoplanes ianthinogenes nom. rev. (type strain NBRC 13996(T)=A/1668(T)=ATCC 21884(T)=BCRC 13611(T)=DSM 43864(T)=IMSNU 20032(T)=JCM 3249(T)=KCTC 9347(T)=KCTC 9592(T)=NCIMB 12639(T)=NRRL B-16720(T)) and Actinoplanes octamycinicus corrig. comb. nov., nom. rev. (type strain NBRC 14524(T)=INA 4041(T)=ATCC 43632(T)=JCM 9649(T)=KCTC 9593(T)), respectively.