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Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is named for the misty 'smoke' that often hangs over the park.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Biological Controls

Join Rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as they release biocontrol beetles. The beetle, a species called Laricobius nigrinus, is a predator of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, an invasive insect from Asia that has wreaked havoc on many hemlock forests in the eastern United States.

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For more opportunities to go into the field and see science at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit the Dispatches from the Field main page. You can read more about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid that's featured above in Issue 2 of Dispatches.
Marbled salamanders are one of 30 salamander species native to the park.  

Did You Know?
There are at least 30 different species of salamanders in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This gives the Smokies the distinction of having the most diverse salamander population anywhere in the world and has earned the park the nickname “Salamander Capital of the World.”

Last Updated: May 12, 2009 at 08:47 EST