In 2000, an actinomycete strain that showed strong antibacterial activity in culture extracts was isolated from a soil sample. The antibiotic activity corresponds to a lipopeptide complex that was named friulimycin, as the producing micro-organism was isolated from a soil sample from the region of Friaul in Italy. Taxonomic investigations showed that the producer strain belonged to a novel species of the genus Actinoplanes, for which the name Actinoplanes friuliensis was proposed. During further taxonomic studies, another antibiotic-producing isolate belonging to the genus Actinoplanes, FH 2241(T), was characterized; in a patent, the name 'Actinoplanes nipponensis' was proposed for this strain. This organism was shown to be related to A. friuliensis. 'A. nipponensis' was never described in detail and the name was never validly published. Here we present a complete description of Actinoplanes nipponensis sp. Nov. (type strain FH 2241(T) = ATCC 31145(T) = DSM 43867(T)) and an emended description of Actinoplanes friuliensis (type strain HAG 010964(T) = DSM 45797(T) = CCUG 63250(T)).