Saw my first monarch of the year yesterday and it was an egg-laying female! She didn't stick around long, she just did a egg drop and run. I was in the middle of mowing, so didn't get a chance to follow her around. I just saw her oviposit on the one milkweed. When I was done mowing I searched around a bit and found 11 eggs spread around the various milkweed patches. I found some on asclepias incarnata, speciosa, and syriaca. None on the a.tuberosa as usual. I think the only time they laid on that was before I had any other kind growing. Hopefully she didn't lay on any of the tiny seedlings of the other varieties, I'd better check though. They've done that before....flown past 2 foot high milkweed to lay on 2 inch seedlings. I may find more eggs later, it was a little hot and sunny to be bending over egg hunting for too long yesterday.
I think my two red admiral eggs hatched too... I think I see little nests. They are so tiny though it is hard to tell. Two red admirals and eleven monarchs is a nice manageable amount to raise for now.
