Study on Pathogenic and Antibiotic-Resistant Microbiota Associated with Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) in Stored Bean Seeds from Bulgaria

Ten microbial species were isolated from Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), a grain beetle infesting stored bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Fabaceae). These included Hafnia alvei and Serratia marcescens (Enterobacteriaceae), Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, Pasteurella mairii, three Bacillus species (B. subtilis, B. pantothenicus, and Pectobacterium carotovorum), and two fungi, Penicillium oxalicum and Acremonium subclavatum. Isolates of S. marcescens and H. alvei exhibited multiple resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins. The coexistence of bacteria and antibioticproducing fungi within the beetles may contribute to the emergence of β-lactam-resistant strains and facilitate dissemination of opportunistic pathogens affecting animals, humans, and plants.