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 13996T = A/1668T = ATCC 21884T = BCRC 13611T = DSM 43864T = IMSNU 20032T = JCM 3249T = KCTC 9347T = KCTC 9592T = NCIMB 12639T = NRRL B-16720T) and Actinoplanes octamycinicus corrig. comb. nov., nom. rev. (type strain NBRC 14524T = INA 4041T = ATCC 43632T = JCM 9649T = KCTC 9593T), respectively.