Species Megasphaera butyrica

Name: Megasphaera butyrica Hitch et al. 2022

Category, proposed as: species, sp. nov.

Etymology: bu.ty’ri.ca. Gr. neut. n. boutyron; L. neut. n. butyrum, butter; L. fem. adj. suff. -ica, suffix used with the sense of belonging to; N.L. fem. adj. butyrica, related to butter, butyric

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: me-ga-SP^HA͡E-ra bu-TY-ri-ka, feminine

Type strain: DSM 102144; JCM 34811; Sanger_24

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

Effective publication: Hitch TCA, Riedel T, Oren A, Overmann J, Lawley TD, Clavel T. Automated analysis of genomic sequences facilitates high-throughput and comprehensive description of bacteria. ISME Commun 2021; 1:16. 🇩🇪

IJSEM list: Oren A, Garrity GM. Validation list no. 204. List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5260.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

Correct name: Megasphaera stantonii Maki and Looft 2018

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Megasphaera stantonii Maki and Looft 2018	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • ⏲ According to Heng et al. (2025), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Megasphaera stantonii Maki and Looft 2018. Publication: Heng YC, Lee JKY, Silvaraju S, Kittelmann S. Description of Megasphaera jansseni sp. nov., a novel short- and medium-chain fatty acid-producing species isolated from faeces of a wild boar (Sus scrofa), and a taxonomic note on the family Veillonellaceae. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2025; 75:6937. 🇸🇬
  • ❗ Megasphaera butyrica is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Megasphaera.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 0 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🙅 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the genus.

Parent taxon: Megasphaera Rogosa 1971 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Hitch TCA, Riedel T, Oren A, Overmann J, Lawley TD, Clavel T. Automated analysis of genomic sequences facilitates high-throughput and comprehensive description of bacteria. ISME Commun 2021; 1:16. 🇩🇪

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://doi.org/10.83108/rn.28159Copy to clipboardLink copied to clipboard

Record number: 28159