Large, heavily scaled tomocerid springtails are abundant in eastern forests, and are important components of the detrital food web. Five described species occur in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). Four of these species, in the genus Pogonognathellus, are difficult to distinguish from one another morphologically. The goals of this project are to determine correlations of scale patterns and colors, ground color, morphology, and DNA sequences for separation of species. Scale patterns and molecular sequences have not been studied in North American Tomoceridae. We collected numerous specimens from different GRSM watersheds and maintained more than four hundred individuals in culture containers. After a specimen molted, it was photographed to capture the pristine scale pattern and color, then preserved in 100% ethanol. The preserved specimen was rephotographed for ground color (most scales are dislodged in preservative) and analyzed molecularly by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Scale patterns, ground color, and DNA sequences were highly correlated, and indicated that at least ten species of Tomoceridae (five undescribed) occur in GRSM. Antennal flexures of disturbed specimens and chaetotaxy of the posterior end also appear to be useful specific characters not used before in this group. These results are being expanded and tested with Tomoceridae collected from Arkansas, California, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, and Texas. A phylogeny of North American Tomoceridae will be created with Harlomillsia oculata (Oncopoduridae) as the outgroup.