This deposit contains data set and analytic codes (accompanied with a meta data) supporting "The impacts of within-stream physical structure and riparian buffer strips on semi-aquatic bugs in Southeast Asian oil palm". We assessed the impacts of within-stream physical structure and riparian buffer strips on semi-aquatic bug (Gerromorpha, Hemiptera) communities in oil palm streams in Sabah, Malaysia. Collections of semi-aquatic bugs were conducted from oil palm with and without riparian buffer strips. Several environmental parameters were collected to represent within-stream physical structure. We investigated the impacts on the abundance, biomass, species richness, and community composition of semi-aquatic bugs. Additionally, we studied the effects on the proportion of juveniles as well as female Ptilomera sp. (a morphospecies with clear sexual dimorphism in this study). This research was funded by the Jardine Foundation, the Cambridge Trust, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (studentship 1122589), Proforest, the Varley Gradwell Travelling Fellowship, the Tim Whitmore Fund, the Panton Trust, the Cambridge University Commonwealth Fund, the Hanne and Torkel Weis-Fogh Fund, and the S.T. Lee Fund.