RESUMO
Background: Publication of data from past field studies on invertebrate populations is of high importance, as there is much added value for them to be used as baselines to study spatiotemporal population and community dynamics in these groups. Therefore, a dataset consisting of occurrence data on epigaeic invertebrates collected in 1996 was standardised into the Darwin core format and cross-checked in order to make it publicly available following FAIR data principles. With publication, it can contribute to the biodiversity assessment of terrestrial invertebrates, thereby improving the availability and accessibility of much-needed historical datasets on macro-invertebrates.Here, we present sampling event data on invertebrates from four grasslands taken out of agricultural production over the span of several decades, effectively displaying a chronosequence on the effects of agricultural extensification. The data were collected by means of a standardised sampling design using pyramid traps, pitfall traps and soil samples. New information: The raw data presented in this data paper have not been published before. They consist of 20,000+ records of nearly 70,000 specimens from 121 taxonomic groups. The data were collected using a standardised field study set-up and specimens were identified by taxonomic specialists. Most groups were identified up to family level, with eight groups identified up to species level. The occurrence data are complemented by information on plant composition, meteorological data and soil physical characteristics. The dataset has been registered in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): http://doi.org/10.15468/7n499e.