Eggs Across the Landscape
Each female lays eggs as she travels along the migration trail. People are often surprised by the large number one monarch lays:

"A sweet little Miss flew in from seemingly nowhere and promptly began to oviposit on almost every mature and newly-planted milkweed in our garden. How nice of her to give Cason Lane Academy charge of her children!"
Ms. Linell Cason, Lane Academy, Murfreesboro, TN

How Many Eggs?
After a single mating, a female can lay eggs throughout her lifetime. Each butterfly lays hundreds of eggs — as many as 700 have been counted. Because she dedicates her energies to egg-laying, the female only lives a few weeks during this stage of her life.

Dr. Jim Edson of the University of Arkansas conducted an experiment. He found a monarch one March and brought her into his lab. Each day, he counted the number of eggs that she laid. Explore the chart to see his results.

Looking Ahead
It takes about one month for a monarch to develop from an egg to an adult butterfly. Because the migration entered Texas during the first week of April, we may see the first adult butterflies as early as next week.

• How Does a Population Grow?