GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Tenn./N.C. (828newsNOW) — A tiny beetle from Japan is being released in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a bid to save the park’s eastern hemlock trees from an invasive insect.

The hemlock woolly adelgid, first detected in the park in 2002, has been steadily killing eastern hemlocks, a foundational species that helps keep streams cool, stabilizes soil and provides habitat for wildlife such as brook trout and salamanders. Without intervention, experts say the species could face ecological extinction in the park.

Park biologists are using a combination of strategies to combat the adelgid, including systemic pesticides applied to individual trees on a five- to seven-year rotation, annual spray treatments in high-traffic areas and the introduction of Laricobius osakensis beetles. Native to Japan, the tiny beetles feed exclusively on the hemlock woolly adelgid and lay their eggs near adelgid colonies, where the larvae continue to feed on the insects.

Unlike chemical treatments, the beetles offer a sustainable, long-term solution, park officials said. The effort is part of a broader plan to protect the Smokies’ forests from invasive species that disrupt ecosystems and threaten biodiversity.

Biologists have released the beetles at select sites after years of research and regulatory approval. Officials hope the initiative will preserve the iconic trees and maintain the ecological integrity of the park for generations.

For more information on invasive species in the Smokies, click here.