Survey of medically important true bacteria found associated with carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae).

Thirty-six carrion beetles (Silphidae: Nicrophorus tomentosus Weber, Oiceoptoma noveboracense (Forster), Necrophila americana (L.] collected in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Basking Ridge, N.J., were dissected and the midgut, hindgut, and associated hemolymph were cultured for bacteria. Analytical profile index rapid biochemical systems were used for bacterial identifications. Nineteen bacteria were identified to species and four to the genus level. Although frank pathogens were not found, several of the identified coliform and staphylococci bacteria were known opportunistic pathogens. More than 20 additional morphologically distinct bacteria were cultured, but these could not be identified using the rapid biochemical test strips because of data base limitations.