One Egg

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 desiccation (drying out). Monarch eggs hatch in about 3-5 days. However, the rate of development is temperature dependent, and is faster in warmer temperatures.