July 22, 2007 - Monarchs Welcome to the Nature Notebook. Summer is the time for royalty. The orange and black Monarch butterfly reigns over fields, meadows and backyard gardens. Monarch caterpillars are hatching now from eggs hidden under milkweed leaves. The tiny green, black and white larva spends most of its time munching away on milkweed leaves taking in nourishment as well as toxins. Leaves provide energy for growth; toxins a means to survive. Following several growth phases, this eating machine slows and picks a sheltered resting site, sheds its skin and develops a chrysalis. After about two weeks a new adult Monarch butterfly emerges. By summer’s end, the Monarch butterfly’s reign is over. It is time to abdicate and move to more hospitable places before invading cold overthrows it. And so, it becomes just another traveler on a pilgrimage to a far away winter sanctuary. This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.