A novel actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-MES19(T), was isolated from pine forest soil in Heilongjiang province, China. A polyphasic study was carried out to establish the taxonomic position of this strain. The organism was found to have morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics typical of the genus Micromonospora. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain NEAU-MES19(T) was most closely related to Micromonospora matsumotoense IMSNU 22003(T). However, phylogenetic analysis based on the gyrB gene sequence showed that the isolate was more closely related to Micromonospora cremea CR30(T) than M. matsumotoense IMSNU 22003(T). The low level of DNA-DNA relatedness allowed the isolate to be differentiated from M. matsumotoense IMSNU 22003(T) and M. cremea CR30(T). Moreover, strain NEAU-MES19(T) could also be distinguished from its closest phylogenetic relatives by morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. Therefore, it is proposed that strain NEAU-MES19(T) represents a novel species of the genus Micromonospora, for which the name Micromonospora maoerensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-MES19(T) (=CGMCC 4.7091(T) = DSM 45884(T)).