Discovery of the Blue Ridge Springsnail, Fontigens orolibas, Hubricht, 1957 (Gastropoda: Emmericiidae) in East Tennessee and Its Conservation Implications

Abstract

The study of spring- and subterranean-associated microsnail species in the Appalachian karst region has focused disproportionately on the northern Appalachian Valley and Ridge (AVR), leaving many areas in the southern Appalachians unexplored. Consequently, biological inventories of subterranean habitats have been initiated in the southern AVR, particularly in the state of Tennessee. In 2013 and 2018, several previously unknown populations of a microsnail species were discovered from caves in eastern Tennessee. Through both morphological and molecular analysis, we identified these populations as the Blue Ridge Springsnail, Fontigens orolibas. These newly discovered populations represent a significant range extension of F. orolibas. As such, we reassess the conservation status of F. orolibas under NatureServe criteria and emphasize the need for further sampling efforts in the southern AVR for microsnails.