The female monarch affixes her eggs to the surface of the milkweed leaf with a special glue that holds the egg securely. Look closely at the base of this egg to see the ring of glue. The eggshell is hard and has a wax coating to protect the egg from dessication (drying out). Monarch eggs hatch in about 3-5 days. However, the rate of development is temperature dependent, and is faster in warmer temperatures.

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