A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile, coccoid bacterial strain, 36A(T), was isolated from Munnar, in India. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, this strain was identified as representing a member of the genus Tersicoccus and was most closely related to the type strain of Tersicoccus phoenicis (98.9%, sequence similarity), the only other member of the genus, and to members of the related genus Arthrobacter (<96.1%, sequence similarity). However, the DNA DNA relatedness of strain 36A(T) with T. phoenicis DSM 30849(T) was only 31.9 +/- 0.8. The DNA G+C content of strain 36A(T) was 70.9 mol%. Strain 36A(T) was an aerobic microbe with optimal growth at 37 degrees C, pH 6.0-8.0 and NaCl 0.5-3% (w/v). Cell-wall peptidoglycan of strain 36A(T) was of type A11.20 (Lys-Ser-Ala(2)). Polar lipids present were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two phospholipids, a glycolipid and four unknown lipids. The major isoprenoid quinones were MK-9 (H-2) and MK-8 (H-2). Major fatty acids of strain 36A(T) were anteiso-C-15 : 0, anteiso-C-17 : 0, iso-C-16 : 0 and iso-C-15 : 0. The results of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and biochemical tests allowed a clear differentiation of strain 36AT, which represents a novel member of the genus Tersicoccus, for which the name Tersicoccus solisilvae sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is 36A(T) (=KCTC 33776(T)=CGMCC 1.15480(T)).