Campus Life

Hidden Gems: Frost Entomological Museum

The collections at the Frost Entomological Museum include a variety of specimens, from invasive species to those native to the United States, like the king swallowtail butterfly shown here. Collections in the museum are used for research, education and outreach, alongside displays and exhibits. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

"Hidden Gems" is a new ongoing series highlighting many of the places and experiences available across Penn State to the campus and local communities. Have a suggestion? Email your Hidden Gem to news@psu.edu to be considered for publication in this series.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The wide world of insects is open for exploration at the Frost Entomological Museum at Penn State. Visitors to the facilities can get up-close and personal with weird and wonderful creatures from around the world, ranging from Pennsylvania pollinators to fossils or invasive species.

The museum, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m during the week, offers a glimpse at the hard work done by entomologists every day. That includes exhibits on how to collect insect specimens, the use of natural history collections in education and outreach, and the history of the museum itself. Special events like Penn State's Night at the Museum, the Great Insect Fair and Parents and Families Weekend offer extended hours to explore the collections.

Undergraduate students can enroll for internships through the Frost museum, as well as independent research within the collections. Effective fall 2024, the museum will launch a new course, "ENT 320: Insect Natural History and Collections," to examine insect natural history. The museum also offers opportunities for volunteers to assist in preservation and collection work.

Collections within the Frost Entomological Museum are used for education, outreach and research. The displays are open to the public for viewing between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays when the University is open. They offer a glimpse at a broad range of insect life, from butterflies to beetles and wasps. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

The annual Great Insect Fair offers opportunities for students like Isabella Petitta, a graduate student in Penn State's Department of Entomology pictured above, to showcase facts about bugs of all kinds. The event, held at Penn State's Snider Ag Arena, is one of many ways for the community to explore the Frost museum's collections and research. Credit: Michael Owen / Penn State. Creative Commons

An ongoing exhibit on local pollinators includes informational posters with close-up looks at habitat and environmental impact. The exhibit is one of many set up onsite in the museum for visitors to wander through during operating hours. Additional opportunities to explore the collections are available throughout the year, including Penn State's Night at the Museums and the Great Insect Fair. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

Julie Rockwell, a collection specialist at Penn State's Frost Entomological Museum, creates high definition, digital images of northern cadisflies at the museums laboratory. Images of the museum's collections are sometimes used for global research through digital databases. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Penn State currently offers classes for internships and independent study through the Frost Entomological Museum. The work allows students to get up-close with the collections available, including insect displays like these leaf-footed bugs. A third class covering the natural history of insects is planned for this fall. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

The Frost museum doesn't just display insects. Some exhibits also show the side effects of an insect's life cycle, like these galls from an Antistrophus chrysothamni. Galls are a response from a plant to a parasite, such as the Cynipidae, a family of wasps. An ongoing exhibit takes a closer look at gall wasps and their impact on the environment. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

Andy Deans, professor of entomology and director of the Frost Entomological Museum, examines specimens from the museum's collection of more than a million arthropods. Credit: Nick Sloff, Penn State Department of Entomology. All Rights Reserved.

Collections within the Frost Entomological Museum are used for education, outreach and research. The displays are open to the public for viewing between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays when the University is open. They offer a glimpse at a broad range of insect life, from butterflies to beetles and wasps. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

The annual Great Insect Fair offers opportunities for students like Isabella Petitta, a graduate student in Penn State's Department of Entomology pictured above, to showcase facts about bugs of all kinds. The event, held at Penn State's Snider Ag Arena, is one of many ways for the community to explore the Frost museum's collections and research. Credit: Michael Owen / Penn State. Creative Commons

An ongoing exhibit on local pollinators includes informational posters with close-up looks at habitat and environmental impact. The exhibit is one of many set up onsite in the museum for visitors to wander through during operating hours. Additional opportunities to explore the collections are available throughout the year, including Penn State's Night at the Museums and the Great Insect Fair. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

Julie Rockwell, a collection specialist at Penn State's Frost Entomological Museum, creates high definition, digital images of northern cadisflies at the museums laboratory. Images of the museum's collections are sometimes used for global research through digital databases. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Penn State currently offers classes for internships and independent study through the Frost Entomological Museum. The work allows students to get up-close with the collections available, including insect displays like these leaf-footed bugs. A third class covering the natural history of insects is planned for this fall. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

The Frost museum doesn't just display insects. Some exhibits also show the side effects of an insect's life cycle, like these galls from an Antistrophus chrysothamni. Galls are a response from a plant to a parasite, such as the Cynipidae, a family of wasps. An ongoing exhibit takes a closer look at gall wasps and their impact on the environment. Credit: Frost Entomological Museum. All Rights Reserved.

Andy Deans, professor of entomology and director of the Frost Entomological Museum, examines specimens from the museum's collection of more than a million arthropods. Credit: Nick Sloff, Penn State Department of Entomology. All Rights Reserved.

Last Updated February 29, 2024

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