During a nature camp this week at Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary, Nancy Garden observed a Red-spotted Purple laying eggs on a young cherry tree (*Prunus serotina*) beside a trail. She told me about it and today we went back to the same tree (good memory, Nancy) where we found at least 10 eggs on the tips of various leaves. The eggs might have been laid on different days or by different females. The eggs are held in place by a very strong glue secreted by the female. The hole at the top of the egg on the right is where sperm has entered to fertilize the egg inside the body of the female. In a few days the tiny Red-spotted Purple caterpillars will emerge and the first thing they will do is make a meal of their egg shells. In short order, they will begin to eat the cherry leaves.
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