Abstract As a result of environmental change by anthropic action, animal species that inhabit these areas may suffer the effects of it on their phenotypes as a consequence of adapting to these conditions. In the case of social wasps, cuticular chemical compounds may be influenced, since these vary depending on genetic and environmental factors. However, few studies have investigated the synanthropic effects over the cuticular surface of social wasps. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how cuticular compounds vary according to the different degrees of human activity and test the hypothesis that cuticular compounds of social wasps are affected by the level of anthropic activity in which their nests are found. Data on the cuticular chemical compounds composition of colonies of 3 species of social wasps were used along with the level of anthropization of their nesting sites in four municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. From the geographical coordinates of the sampling sites, the percentages of urban construction areas, agriculture, water body, vegetation and exposed land were calculated, and the nesting sites of the colonies were classified as more or less anthropized areas. The chemical profile was determined by extraction of cuticular compounds and analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). The results show that the cuticular chemical composition of the individuals of these species is affected by the level of anthropization in their nesting sites, with a qualitative and quantitative variation that must be tied not only to genetic differences, but, above all, to the local environmental conditions to which their colonies are subjected.

OBJETIVOS: O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a variação especial na riqueza e composição de espécies de peixes em riachos da bacia do rio Ivinhema, Alto Rio Paraná determinando a relação entre características locais e regionais na organização das assembleias de peixes; MÉTODOS: Amostramos 200 trechos de riachos entre 2001 e 2011 utilizando diferentes petrecho de pesca. A riqueza local e composição de espécies foram analisadas utilizando métodos uni e multivariados buscando detectar padrões na organização das assembleias de peixes; RESULTADOS: Identificamos 111 espécies de peixes nos riachos amostrados e estimamos a ocorrência de 117 espécies de peixes (ICα0,05 = 111 a 123) com menor riqueza de espécies nos trechos de cabeceira quando comparados aos trechos inferiores da bacia. As espécies de peixes registradas são predominantemente de pequeno porte, com incremento no tamanho médio das nascentes para a foz do rio. As quatro espécies mais comuns são de ampla distribuição na bacia, no entanto, 24 espécies são alóctones ao Alto Rio Paraná e duas espécies (Chaetobranchopsis australis e Apistogramma commbrae) são registradas pela primeira vez na bacia do Alto Rio Paraná. A altitude foi o principal determinante da riqueza e composição de espécies e uma descontinuidade na organização das assembleias (riqueza, composição e tamanho dos peixes) foi detectada a aproximadamente 430 m de altitude; CONCLUSÕES: Os riachos da bacia do rio Ivinhema apresentam principalmente espécies de pequeno porte e a variação de altitude, interagindo com fatores locais, determinam os padrões observados nas assembleias de peixes.

AIM: The present study analyzed the spatial variation in fish species richness and composition in streams of the Ivinhema River basin, Upper Paraná basin, determining the relationship between local and regional descriptors of the fish assemblage organization; METHOD: From 2001 to 2011 we sampled 200 stream stretches, using different sampling methods. Local species richness and composition were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods to detect patterns of variation in the fish assemblage organization; RESULTS: We identified 111 fish species in the streams, and estimated the occurrence of 117 fish species (CIα0.05 = 111 to 123) with lower species richness in headwater streams compared to the lower parts of the basin. The fish species recorded were predominantly of small size, and the mean size increased from the headwaters to the river mouth. The four most common species are widely distributed in the basin. However, 24 species are allocthonous to the Upper Paraná basin, and two species (Chaetobranchopsis australis and Apistogramma commbrae) are recorded here for the first time in the Upper Paraná basin. Altitude was the main determinant of local fish species richness and composition, and a discontinuity in assemblage organization (richness, composition, fish size) was detected at approximately 430 m a.s.l.; CONCLUSION: Streams of the Ivinhema River basin are inhabited mainly by small-sized fishes; and longitudinal variation, interacting with local characteristics, determines the fish assemblage patterns.