The Crystal-Wonder Cave System: A New Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Southern Cumberland Plateau of South-Central Tennessee, USA

The Crystal-Wonder Cave System developed in the Western Escarpment of southern Cumberland Plateau Interior Low karst region south-central Tennessee, USA is a global hotspot cave-limited biodiversity. We combined historical literature, museum accessions, and database occurrences with new observations from bio-inventory efforts conducted between 2005 2022 to compile an updated list troglobiotic stygobiotic biodiversity for System. fauna includes 31 species (23 troglobionts 8 stygobionts) 28 18 documented Crystal Wonder caves, respectively, which represents five phyla, ten classes, nineteen orders, twenty-six families (six arachnids, three springtails, two diplurans, millipedes, six insects, terrestrial snails, one flatworm, crustaceans, vertebrates, respectively). type locality species—Anillinus longiceps, Pseudanophthalmus humeralis, P. intermedius, Ptomaphagus hatchi, Tolus appalachius, Chitrella archeri. carabid beetle Anillinus longiceps endemic Sixteen are conservation concern, including twelve taxa NatureServe ranks G1–G3. exceptional diversity has been associated several factors, high dispersal potential cave expansive exposures along Plateau, surface productivity, favorable climate throughout Pleistocene.