Observations of cabbage stem flea beetle abundance, associated crop damage and levels of larval infestation, and arthropod trapping data for oilseed rape fields in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala) is a significant pest of rapeseed (Brassica napus). Adult P. chrysocephala feeding can cause severe leaf damage and larval infestation can reduce stem strength, both of which impact crop growth and development, causing substantial yield losses and economic damage. The structure of the agricultural landscape can regulate herbivorous pest populations through top-down and bottom-up processes. This has shown promise in regulating the populations of other herbivorous pests, but remains relatively unexplored for P. chrysocephala. This dataset is associated with a study where we investigate how the structure of the agricultural landscape influences P. chrysocephala abundance (pest pressure) and associated crop damage. This associated dataset includes observations of cabbage stem flea beetle abundance, associated crop damage and levels of larval infestation, and arthropod trapping data for oilseed rape fields in Lower Saxony, Germany. All data were collected between September and November 2021. Data include: 1) Observations of weekly pest pressure for each field, comprising weekly observations for five-weeks from 27.09.2021 until 25.10.2021; 2) feeding damage assessments for 200 plants per field in September (w/c 27.09.2021) and October (25.10.2021); 3) Larval infestation for 50 plants per field in November (22.11.2021); 4) And arthropod trap data for each field at three timepoints (September, October, and November),