Composition and vertical distribution of agricultural soil Macrofauna community after an extreme high temperature event in the summer of 2022

•EHT had a negative effect on soil macrofauna diversity.•Abundances of ants, centipedes and crickets decreased after EHT.•Abundances of Enchytraeidae and earthworms increased after EHT.•Soil water content was key driver for soil macrofaunal activities. Extreme high temperature (EHT) events are becoming more frequent and prolonged due to global climate change. Predicting the effects of EHT events on agricultural soil fauna remains a major challenge. In order to assess the response of community composition and vertical distribution of soil fauna to EHT events, this study investigated the soil macrofauna communities in facility agricultural farmlands at the end of an EHT event in East China in 2022 and eighteen days after. The results showed that the taxonomic richness and abundances of the soil macrofauna community were reduced eighteen days after the EHT event. However, changes in abundance were taxonomically dependent: individuals of ants (Pheidole indica), centipedes (Himantariidae) and crickets decreased significantly, while Enchytraeidae and earthworms increased. Soil water content was an important factor determining taxonomic richness at the end of the EHT event and the abundance of earthworms eighteen days after the EHT event. The maximum values of taxonomic richness and abundance of the soil macrofauna community were observed in the surface layer (0–10 cm) at the end of the EHT event and eighteen days after. Earthworms burrowed into the deeper layer at the end of the EHT event, but moved to the surface layer eighteen days after the EHT event. These results showed that most soil fauna taxa experienced adverse effects posed by EHT events, while the earthworm and Enchytraeidae had abilities to increase their abundances rapidly by EHT events. This study suggests that soil water content and vertical distribution should be considered when assessing the impact of an EHT event on soil biodiversity.