Survey of cuckoo wasps of Lebanon (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) with description of four new species.

In the present article 74 Lebanese cuckoo wasps are listed, 34 of which are recorded for the first time. Two species from Lebanon are described as new for science: Philoctetes acuminatus Rosa Boustani, sp. nov.

The bees of Lebanon (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila).

The study of wild bees has markedly increased in recent years due to their importance as pollinators of crops and wild plants, and this interest has been accentuated by increasing evidence of global declines in their abundance and species richness. Though best studied in Europe and North America, knowledge on the current state of wild bees is scarce in regions where they are particularly diversified, such as the Mediterranean basin. The eastern Mediterranean country of Lebanon, located at the heart of the Levant in a biodiversity hotspot, is particularly poorly studied.

Global patterns in bumble bee pollen collection show phylogenetic conservation of diet.

Bumble bees (Bombus) are a group of eusocial bees with a strongly generalised feeding pattern, collecting pollen from many different botanical families. Though predominantly generalists, some bumble bee species seem to have restricted dietary choices. It is unclear whether restricted diets in bumble bees are inherent or a function of local conditions due to a lack of data for many species across different regions.

Global effects of extreme temperatures on wild bumblebees.

Climate plays a key role in shaping population trends and determining the geographic distribution of species because of limits in species' thermal tolerance. An evaluation of species tolerance to temperature change can therefore help predict their potential spatial shifts and population trends triggered by ongoing global warming. We assessed inter- and intraspecific variations in heat resistance in relation to body mass, local mean temperatures, and evolutionary relationships in 39 bumblebee species, a major group of pollinators in temperate and cold ecosystems, across 3 continents, 6 biomes, and 20 regions (2386 male specimens).