The taxonomic positions of two thermophilic actinomycetes isolated from soil were established in a polyphasic taxonomic study. The organisms were shown to have phenotypic properties typical of members of the genus Amycolatopsis and formed a distinct phyletic line in the Amycolatopsis methanolica 16S rDNA subclade. They also had many phenotypic properties in common and formed a genomic species that was closely related to, albeit distinct from, the type strain of A. methanolica. A range of phenotypic properties distinguished the isolates from representatives of all validly described species of Amycolatopsis. Genotypic and phenotypic data show that the two strains should be classified in the genus Amycolatopsis as a novel species, Amycolatopsis eurytherma sp. nov.; the type strain is strain NT202T (= DSM 44348T = NCIMB 13795T).