Dependence of the Abundance of Reed Glass-Winged Cicadas (Pentastiridius leporinus (Linnaeus, 1761)) on Weather and Climate in the Upper Rhine Valley, Southwest Germany

The planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus, commonly called reed glass-winged cicada, transmits the pathogens “Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus” and “Candidatus Phytoplasma solani”, which are infesting sugar beet and, most recently, also potato in the Upper Rhine valley area of Germany. They cause the “Syndrome Basses Richesses” associated with reduced yield and sugar content in sugar beet, leading to substantial monetary losses to farmers in the region. No effective solutions exist currently. This study uses statistical models to understand to what extent the abundance of cicadas depends on climate regions during the vegetation period (April–October). We further investigated what influence temperature and precipitation have on the abundance of the cicadas in sugar beet fields. Furthermore, we investigated the possible impacts of future climate on cicada abundance. Also, 22 °C and 8 mm/day were found to be the optimal temperature and precipitation conditions for peak male cicada flight activity, while 28 °C and 8 mm/day were the optimum for females. By the end of the 21st century, daily male cicada abundance is projected to increase significantly under the worst-case high greenhouse gas emission scenario RCP8.5 (RCP-Representative Concentration Pathways), with confidence intervals suggesting a possible 5–15-fold increase compared to current levels. In contrast, under the low-emission scenario RCP2.6, male cicada populations are projected to be 60–70% lower than RCP8.5. An understanding of the influence of changing temperature and precipitation conditions is crucial for predicting the spread of this pest to different regions of Germany and other European countries.