This data package contains the composition of foliage arthropod trophic levels in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor creosote bush sites at the Jornada Basin. This data was collected for the purpose of testing the hypothesis that creosotebush shrubs (Larrea tridentata) growing in naturally nutrient-rich sites had better quality foliage and supported greater populations of foliage arthropods than shrubs growing in nutrient-poor sites. Sampling took place in May of 1986 from random, high nutrient, and low nutrient shrubs. Total numbers of taxa and individuals of each major trophic group (herbivores, predators, and omnivores) from each of the 30 shrubs/sites are listed. This dataset consists of the date of collection, plot ID, shrub type, shrub number, numbers of taxa per shrub (grouped into chewing, sucking, predacious and omnivorous arthropods), and numbers of individuals per shrub (grouped into chewing, sucking, predacious and omnivorous arthropods). This dataset is complete.