''Melissococcus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bac ...

catalase Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting t ...

-negative,

coccus A coccus (plural cocci) is any bacterium or archaeon that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape. Bacteria are categorized based on their shapes into three classes: cocci (spherical-shaped), bacillus (rod-shaped) and spiral ( of w ...

-shaped

lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped ( bacilli) or spherical ( cocci) bacteria that share common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bact ...

within the family

Enterococcaceae The Enterococcaceae are a family of Gram-positive bacteria placed in the order Lactobacillales. Representative genera include ''Enterococcus'', '' Melissococcus'', '' Pilibacter'', '' Tetragenococcus'', and '' Vagococcus''. In this family are s ...

. ''Melissococcus'' species were classified as ''

Streptococcus ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive ' (plural ) or spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occu ...

'' until 1983 when ''Melissococcus'' was recognized as a distinct genus. Notable species include '' M. plutonius'', which is a cause of European foulbrood (an infectious disease that primarily affects honeybees).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19652404 Enterococcaceae