Leaf beetle community data for 20 Iberian localities and associated genetic barcodes (cox1)

Field sampling and taxonomic species identification:
Leaf beetle assemblages were sampled in 20 localities along a South-North transect (820 km) in Spain in April–June 2010. Each locality was separated from the closest locality by a minimum of 36 km [ALC-UBG] and a maximum of 106 km [ANC-EUM]. Sampling localities were selected to maximize the climatic variation and spanned an altitudinal range between 120 and 1270 m a.s.l. All localities were well preserved areas (most Natural Parks or areas with some degree of protection) combining forests dominated by different oak species, with shrubs and meadows. Each locality was intensively sampled by sweeping and beating all types of vegetation, including trees, shrubs and herbs, for 20 sampling periods of 30 min (18 sampling units in UBG). Collecting permits were issued by the corresponding regional governments: Junta de Andalucía (ALC, UBG, SNS), Junta de Extremadura (JCB, HOR, COR, VER, SSP, DEL), Junta de Castilla y León (FRN, ADS, ADN, SAN, ..., , , # Leaf beetle community data for 20 Iberian localities and associated genetic barcodes (cox1)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dbrv15f8d](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dbrv15f8d)

Data used in Baselga et al. 2015 (GEB, doi: 10.1111/geb.12322) and Formoso-Freire et al. 2024 (Ecography, doi: 10.1111/ecog.07200). It includes species abundance data and cox1 5' barcodes for 20 complete leaf beetle communities in Spain.

## Description of the data and file structure

Three files are included:

specimen_list.csv is a table in which rows are leaf beetle specimens, and columns are sequence identity codes (ID-SEQ), sampling sites (LOC), short species identification code (Sp_id), sequence identity code with species identification (seq_ID), and species name (sp-name).

specimen_alignment.fasta is the cox1 5' barcode alignment of the leaf beetle specimens.

envdata.csv is a table in which rows are sampling sites, and columns are sampling sites (LOC), geographical coordinates (Longitude and Latitude),...