The dataset includes pictures taken with our automated moth trap (AMT) in the university forest of the Philipps University of Marburg (Marburg Open Forest) near Caldern in Hesse, Germany. Eight AMTs were were operated five times on 16 plots from the beginning of July 2021 to the end of August 2021. Moths were attracted via a LED-UV tube and then rested on an illuminated white LED-board. An oppositely placed camera box took pictures of the resting moths with an 5MP Raspberry Pi-camera. The AMTs were scheduled to take photos every 30 s between 10 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The files are named according to the recording date using the following naming convention: image_picture number_year month day_hour minute second (e.g. im_0163_20210720_232554). Additonally, our statistical analysis in R and datasets used for our publication are included (AMT_vs_CON.tar).