Tracking forest restoration in pine-invaded ecosystems using assemblages of Scolytinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

This dataset comprises the raw data supporting the study on the potential of Scolytinae beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) as bioindicators of environmental quality in ecological restoration areas following the removal of Pinus taeda in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. The central hypothesis of the study was that distinct successional stages harbor different Scolytinae communities, enabling the identification of species and community patterns associated with environmental quality and forest regeneration. The dataset includes: (i) the raw records of all Scolytinae specimens collected during biweekly sampling over a one-year period; (ii) the taxonomic classification of each record, including tribe, genus, species, and feeding guild (xylomycetophagous, phloeophagous, or myelophagous); (iii) the meteorological data used in the analyses; and (iv) the forest inventory data used to characterize and distinguish the initial, intermediate, and advanced successional stages of vegetation. Scolytinae beetles were sampled using flight-intercept traps baited with 96% ethanol installed in three areas representing different stages of ecological succession. The forest inventory comprised structural vegetation attributes used to classify the successional stages, whereas the meteorological data were used to evaluate the influence of climatic conditions on Scolytinae communities. The data reveal differences in species diversity, abundance, community composition, and feeding guild structure among successional stages. In particular, Hypothenemus eruditus and Corthylus comitabilis showed consistent associations with different stages of forest regeneration, highlighting their potential as bioindicators of environmental quality and ecological restoration. This dataset can be used to reproduce the analyses presented in the associated manuscript and provides a valuable resource for future studies on ecological succession, biodiversity monitoring, forest restoration, and the ecology of Scolytinae beetles.