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. The aim of this paper is to produce a first annotated checklist of the wild bees of Lebanon from new and museum collections, literature records, and verified occurrences from online databases. The present list totals 573 species for Lebanon of which 289 are reported for the first time, but the estimated diversity is likely to be closer to 700. Preliminary information on local distributions and flower records are also presented. The local species assemblages indicate affinities with montane habitats of the Mediterranean and Anatolia and the semi-arid habitats of the Levant and north Africa. This study also encourages further research on local wild bee faunas and the use of this knowledge for conservation purposes.

Purpose: Municipal sewage sludge generated from three operational wastewater treatment plants, located in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon, was assessed for its potential use as agricultural soil amendment. Methods: Sludge samples were taken from three treatment plants located in the villages of Iaat, Ablah and Joub Jannine during the summer season of 2018, from June to September, on a monthly basis. The evaluation was based on characterizing the physicochemical parameters such as the metal content, the pathogenic microorganisms (Salmonella, E.Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Helminth eggs, Ascaris, Acinetobacter) and the phytotoxicity–stability indicators of the sludge samples. Results: The obtained results were compared to the Lebanese guidelines for sludge reuse in agriculture. For the physicochemical analysis, all the samples showed a possibility to be used in agriculture due to the high content of minerals and organic matter. Considering the metal content of sludge, Iaat and Ablah sludge were classified as Class A according to the Lebanese guidelines; however, sludge from Joub Janine was classified as B due to its high content of zinc that exceeded the limit of 700 ppm. Helminth eggs and Salmonella were absent in the sludge samples. Pathogenic organisms, mainly E. coli, were detected in Iaat dry sludge, Staphylococcus aureus was present in Joub Jannine sludge and Acinetobacter in Ablah station (> 100 CFU/100 g). Conclusion: It is recommended to submit the sludge which did not meet the required criteria, for further treatments, particularly the composting process to reduce the metal content and pathogenic microorganisms for a safer reuse in agriculture.