Workstation 8.0.6 offers an incorrect list of host serial ports if I try to connect a guest's port to a host port (a "physical" port). It does not contain dynamically added virtual USB ports (USB-to-RS232 converter, GPS receiver, GSM modem) that are currently present but contains some non-present ports that were used in the past. If I restart Workstation, it lists currently present ports together with non-present ports.
Such behavior is VERY annoying. 
Of course, I could shutdown a VM and manually add a "serialN.fileName" to VMX but I cannot connect guest's port to a newly discovered host COM port dynamically, without restarting a guest.