https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jm63xsjjn

The dataset contains simple morphometric data for 597 individual adult, flight-capable, insects from 65 species. For those specimens for which the information is available, radar cross sections and parameters describing radar polarization patterns (at a radio frequency of 9.4 GHz) are also provided. Identification to species, body length, body width, and mass are provided for all specimens, sex for 297 specimens of 28 species, dorso-ventral thicknesses (“depth”) for 307 specimens of 27 species, and radar properties for 177 specimens of 34 species. Grasshoppers and locusts (Orthoptera), moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), and beetles (Coleoptera) are predominant, but there are small numbers of mantises (Mantodea), flies (Diptera), bees (Hymenoptera), and lacewings and owlflies (Neuroptera). Data for specimens with radar properties have been previously published, the remaining data are from unpublished field or laboratory records and have not previously been openly accessible. Specimens are predominantly from Europe and Australia, though Africa, North America, and Asia are also represented.

The dataset was compiled for an investigation into the radio-reflecting properties of insects, undertaken in support of a program of research that employs radar to observe insects in flight. An analysis of the dataset is reported in the related paper, which potential users of the dataset are recommended to read as it identifies apparent anomalies in the data for some species groups.

Description of the data and file structure

The data are presented in two files. Data File 1 is an Excel spreadsheet with four sheets of insect data (for grasshoppers and locusts, moths and butterflies, beetles, and other orders) and a sheet with supporting information (notes and codes). This file contains common and scientific names and the primary (measurement) data; statistics (counts, means, standard deviations) are computed for each species and for species groups. The following secondary quantities, calculated from the primary data, are also provided: equivalent diameter (geometric mean of width and depth), density, length/width ratio, depth/width ratio. The Notes and codes sheet records the origin of the data, gives the meanings for codes and cell colors, and presents count statistics for the whole dataset. This file is not intended to be machine-readable.

Data File 2 provides the primary (specimen identity and measurement) data in comma-separated format in simple machine-readable form. There is a single line [row] for each specimen, and no derived quantities or statistics. Column-heading codes are defined in the Notes sheet of Data File 1. An empty field indicates missing data.

Sharing/Access information

The full dataset is not available elsewhere.

Data for most of the specimens with radar parameters are also available at doi:10.1080/01431161.2017.1320453 (“Supplemental” tab).

Code/Software

The following R line will read Data File 2 directly into the R data frame meastab:

meastab <- read.table(“Insects_as_Radar_Targets-Data_File_2.dat”,skip=1,header=T,sep=”,”)