Bacterial strain TM-1(T) was isolated from the gut of a wood-feeding termite, Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder. Cells of strain TM-1(T) were Gram-negative, spherical (1.0-2.0 µm in diameter), non-motile, non-sporulating and red-pigmented. Strain TM-1(T) was resistant to UV radiation, showing 34% survival after exposure to UV light at a dose of 100 J m(-2). Growth occurred at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 6.0-7.0), and in the presence of 0-1% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-0.4%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain TM-1(T) was related to members of the genus Deinococcus, with sequence similarities ranging from 87.0 to 94.0%. The peptidoglycan of strain TM-1(T) contained ornithine, alanine, glycine and glutamic acid. The most abundant cellular fatty acids of strain TM-1(T) were summed feature 3 (C(16:1)ω7c and/or C(16:1)ω6c; 22.3%) and C(16:0) (37.5%). MK-8 was the predominant quinone. The polar lipid profile contained three glycophospholipids, six glycolipids, one aminolipid and three unknown lipids. DNA of the type strain had a G+C content of 65.6 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data presented, strain TM-1(T) represents a novel species of the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus reticulitermitis sp. nov. is proposed, with TM-1(T) (=CGMCC 1.10218(T)=NBRC 106334(T)) as the type strain.