Phylogeography, speciation, and cryptic diversity in Pseudosinella cave springtails (Entomobryomorpha: Entomobryidae) of the Interior Low Plateau and Appalachian Valley & Ridge karst regions

Caves offer a unique opportunity to study the ecology and evolution of life in extreme environments. Many different groups of invertebrates and vertebrates have evolved similar adaptations to living in habitats that lack light and generally have limited energy resources. However, the same processes that drive diversification in subterranean fauna can also obscure true levels of biodiversity. Traditional taxonomy of most subterranean organisms has relied heavily on morphology. However, several molecular studies in recent years have uncovered high levels of cryptic diversity in some subterranean organisms in which more widely distributed species that were delimited previously using morphology are comprised of multiple, genetically distinct lineages.  Unfortunately, due to the lack of taxonomic expertise and the difficulty of specimen collection, many subterranean species remain to be genetically studied. One such group is cave-adapted springtails of the genus Pseudosinella. The ongoing study levies over 300 specimens of P.christianseni,  P. hirsuta, and P. spinosa from over 50 caves broadly distributed across the Interior Low Plateau and Appalachian Valley & Ridge karst regions of the eastern United States.