LIFE Natura@night baseline dataset of nocturnal terrestrial arthropods from Madeira Island, Portugal

Sampling followed a spatially replicated design using portable UV Heath light traps complemented by wine-rope bait traps to maximize the detection of nocturnal taxa with different attraction behaviours.

The survey comprised 48 sampling sites distributed across a broad range of habitats, including Laurissilva native forest, mixed and exotic forests, agricultural landscapes and coastal ecosystems, resulting in 134 sampling events. The dataset includes 1,939 occurrence records representing 11,885 individuals, in which 6,028 individuals were identified to species or subspecies (S = 200) from a wide range of arthropod groups, with Lepidoptera constituting the richest and most abundant order.