Name: Serpens flexibilis Hespell 1977 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: fle.xi’bi.lis. L. fem. adj. flexibilis, flexible, pliant

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: SER-pens fle-XI-bi-lis, feminine

Type strain: ATCC 29606; LMG 29034

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: KP973996 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Hespell RB. Serpens flexibilis gen. nov., sp. nov., an unusually flexible lactate-oxidizing bacterium. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1977; 27:371-381.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Pseudomonas tuomuerensis Xin et al. 2009	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Pseudomonas flexibilis (Hespell 1977) Shin et al. 2016	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Serpens tuomuerensis (Xin et al. 2009) Rudra and Gupta 2024	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Serpens Hespell 1977 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Hespell RB. Serpens flexibilis gen. nov., sp. nov., an unusually flexible lactate-oxidizing bacterium. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1977; 27:371-381.
  • ⏰ According to Rudra and Gupta (2024), this species is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Pseudomonas tuomuerensis Xin et al. 2009. Publication: Rudra B, Gupta RS. Phylogenomics studies and molecular markers reliably demarcate genus Pseudomonas sensu stricto and twelve other Pseudomonadaceae species clades representing novel and emended genera. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1273665. 🇨🇦
  • ⏰ According to Rudra and Gupta (2024), this species is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Serpens tuomuerensis (Xin et al. 2009) Rudra and Gupta 2024. Publication: Rudra B, Gupta RS. Phylogenomics studies and molecular markers reliably demarcate genus Pseudomonas sensu stricto and twelve other Pseudomonadaceae species clades representing novel and emended genera. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1273665. 🇨🇦
  • ⏰ According to Shin et al. (2015), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Pseudomonas tuomuerensis Xin et al. 2009. Publication: Shin SK, Hwang CY, Cho YJ, Yi H. Reclassification of Serpens flexibilis Hespell 1977 as Pseudomonas flexibilis comb. nov., with Pseudomonas tuomuerensis Xin et al. 2009 as a later heterotypic synonym. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:563-566. 🇰🇷
  • ⏰ According to Shin et al. (2015), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Serpens tuomuerensis (Xin et al. 2009) Rudra and Gupta 2024. Publication: Shin SK, Hwang CY, Cho YJ, Yi H. Reclassification of Serpens flexibilis Hespell 1977 as Pseudomonas flexibilis comb. nov., with Pseudomonas tuomuerensis Xin et al. 2009 as a later heterotypic synonym. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:563-566. 🇰🇷
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 2 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of other species in the genus.

Parent taxon: Serpens Hespell 1977 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Hespell RB. Serpens flexibilis gen. nov., sp. nov., an unusually flexible lactate-oxidizing bacterium. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1977; 27:371-381.

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Record number: 784875