Meet Frenatae

By Elena Mathern, Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management BS ‘25

Frenatae is many things. It functions as an independent non-profit and as the entomology graduate student organization at the University of Minnesota, which is entirely run by student volunteers. Their mission is “to spread the joy and wonder of insects through outreach and educational activities within our community.”

What are some goals Frenatae strives to achieve?

Frenatae seeks to support the development of professional entomological skills among students, foster an environment for exchanging scientific ideas, and create a social network for graduate students interested in entomology.

Are there any requirements for being in the club?

All members are required to complete service to Frenatae as a club by participating in two service events a year, each lasting about two to three hours. These service events can range from leading outreach events to running our Honey Sale booths or providing some other service that gives back to Frenatae (e.g., organizing outreach supplies, developing outreach materials/programs, etc.).

What got you involved in the Frenatae club?

I became involved with Frenatae because I wanted to gain more experience in insect outreach and be a part of a community that fosters a sense of belonging while supporting my graduate school endeavors. 

How would you describe the community this group fosters?

Frenatae cultivates a strong community through hosting many social and outreach events. This year, we held a welcome event for all the new graduate students in entomology. Students mingled, played games, and created connections. Frenatae connects new graduate students with senior graduate students, who can help guide new students in graduate school. Students in Frenatae have the opportunity to develop strong relationships with other graduate students, gain professional development skills through outreach, and network with Frenatae alums. Frenatae gives graduate students interested in entomology a sense of belonging. 

What makes you unique from other clubs on campus?

There are many ways our club is unique! One recent addition to Frenatae is Frenatae’s meeting space on the first floor of Alderman Hall, called the Puparium. The name “Puparium” was given to this space to symbolize how Frenatae houses and fosters emerging entomology professionals, just like how a puparium, a strong case that contains a fly, houses an emerging fly. This space is used for Frenatae outreach events and meetings but is also a location where students can work, share lunch, hold meetings, and decompress. We also have arthropods on exhibit that anyone can come by and observe through our keyhole viewing ports!

What are your favorite parts about being a member of Frenatae ?

My favorite part about being a member of Frenatae is the relationships I have developed with other graduate students through it. These relationships have enhanced my graduate school experience, resulting in late-night study sessions, practicing presentations for conferences with each other, and more!

What events or traditions does the club participate in?

We host our annual honey sale to raise money for outreach events, social events, and field trips. We sell honey collected by the Bee Lab, candles, merchandise featuring student illustrations, and more! One outreach event we do every year is hosting a booth at the Minnesota State Fair. This event is where we reach the most people, making it our most impactful outreach event. We show off live arthropods, pinned insects, and our insect trivia wheel and expose people to the wonders of insects in a safe environment.

Does the club get involved with other organizations at the University of Minnesota or outside school?

Yes! The undergraduate Insect Club was established last year. Since then, we have given the club a seminar on applying to graduate school, collaborated on outreach events like the Minnsect Show, and loaned the club outreach materials. 

Outside of UMN, we have hosted outreach events in partnership with Girl Scout Troops, 4-H, the Three Rivers Park District, the Bell Museum, local community gardens, and local schools. These events have allowed us to develop relationships with these organizations and share our insect knowledge with the local community.

Frenatae encompasses many different specializations; what are some ways that the club touches on those topics?

We have Frenatae members in three graduate programs: Entomology, Natural Resources Science Management, and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Students in these programs research agricultural pest management, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genomics, forest entomology and management, cell biology, landscape ecology, insect behavior and ecology, and more! 

Last year, we created an Entomology Games Team for the Entomology Games hosted at the Annual Entomology Society of America Conference. Our team consisted of five Frenatae members with varying expertise in different areas of entomology. This team's success and future success show how important it is to bring our strengths across different specializations together to benefit our learning.