Borges, P.A.V.Dal Lago, AlexandraAmorim do Rosário, IsabelCarvalho, RuiCrespo, Luís CarlosNunes, RuiPereira, FernandoRego, CarlaGabriel, RosalinaRigal, FrançoisCardoso, PedroGuerrero-Ramírez, Nathaly2026-05-042026-05-042026-04-24Borges, P. A. V., Dal Lago, A., Amorim, I. R., Carvalho, R., Crespo, L. C., Nunes, R. M. R., Pereira, F., Rego, C., Gabriel, R., Rigal, F. & Cardoso, P. (2026) Integrating plot-based methods for monitoring biodiversity in island habitats under the scope of BIODIVERSA+ project BioMonI: Beetle monitoring in Pico and Terceira Islands. Biodiversity Data Journal, 14, e189085. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.14.e1890851314-2836http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/8934Oceanic island native forests have become highly fragmented and yet host a disproportionate share of endemic arthropod diversity. Long-term monitoring and conservation planning are often limited by the scarcity of standardised, plot-based datasets for key indicator taxonomic groups, such as the megadiverse beetles (Coleoptera). Under the scope of the projects EU-NETBIOME grant 0003/2011, FCT MACDIV – FCT-PTDC/BIABIC/0054/2014 and BIODIVERSA+ funded BioMonI, we compile and mobilise a baseline dataset of forest beetles from the Azores using a network of 16 permanent 50 m × 50 m native-forest plots (Pico: 6 plots; Terceira: 10 plots). Beetles were sampled with an optimised COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment) protocol complemented by beetle-targeted sampling techiques (under-bark/epiphyte and coarse woody debris/ground refugia searches), enabling repeatable and comparable monitoring across islands and through time.engAzores Archipelagonative laurel forestColeopteraCOBRA protocollong-term monitoringDarwin Coredata paper10.3897/BDJ.14.e1890851314-2828