What is the name of the cave system in New Zealand famous for glowworms?

The New Zealand cave system famous for glowworms is the Waitomo Caves. Located on the North Island, the Waitomo area contains several limestone caves, with the Waitomo Glowworm Cave being the best-known for its boat journey beneath a ceiling of living blue-green lights.

The glowworms are the larvae of Arachnocampa luminosa, a fungus gnat species found only in New Zealand. They produce bioluminescence and hang sticky threads from the cave ceiling. Their light attracts flying insects, which become trapped in the threads and provide food for the larvae.

Māori had known about the cave region for generations. In the 1880s, Tane Tinorau and surveyor Fred Mace explored the main cave by raft and candlelight. Guided tourism began soon afterward, and the Glowworm Grotto became the attraction's signature feature.

Waitomo Caves is a regional name, while Waitomo Glowworm Cave identifies the specific cave most associated with the glowworms. Phong Nha Cave, Carlsbad Caverns, and Blue Grotto are different cave or cavern attractions and are not the canonical answer here.