Four bacterial strains were isolated from the fly larvae of an obligate parasitic fly, Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), These isolates were characterized by a polyphasic approach and represent a new lineage of gamma -Proteobacteria as their closest relative is Xylella fastidiosa (87.1% 16S rDNA similarity). The four strains are identical at the 16S rDNA level, the level of similarity between them, based on DNA-DNA hybridization, is high (97.8-102.5 %) and they are similar in their physiological and biochemical characteristics, although they differ in their utilization of different sole carbon sources. All produce chitinase, They are obligately aerobic: no growth is detected under anaerobic conditions, even in the presence of NO; as terminal electron acceptor. Their predominant respiratory quinone is Q-8, The G+C content of their DNA is 42 mol%. Their cell membrane contains phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and two unknown polar lipids. Their main fatty acids are C(18:1), C(16:0) and C(14:0). To accommodate these bacteria, a new genus, Schineria gen, nov., with the type species Schineria larvae sp, nov., is proposed.