Cethosia nietneri, the Tamil lacewing,[2][1] is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Sri Lanka and south India.

Short streaks, followed by a series of large oval spots of the black ground colour; terminal and costal margins very broadly black, traversed by a postdiscal row of transverse short, white, inwardly-turned lunules, and a subterminal row of much more slender, outwardly-turned, similarly coloured lunules.

Underside: basal and discal areas of both forewings and hindwings bluish green, variously barred and spotted with black, the short white streaks between the veins beyond apex of cell as on the upperside; a postdiscal band of: pinkish white, somewhat obscure on the fore, more clearly defined on the hindwing, traversed by a series of oval black spots, followed by a broad subterminal even band of ochraceous yellow, inwardly margined by a row of black dots; terminal margins broadly black, traversed by a series of slender outwardly turned white lunules, each lunule with a short white median streak from the margin.

[3] Similar, all the black markings smaller; the base posteriorly of the forewing on the upperside greenish blue, no trace of ochraceous.

(Moore)[3] "Brown mottled with ochreous-white, abdominal segments tubercular; wing-case dilated and exfoliated beneath.

[3] "Hanging vertically, slender, with two large foliaceous processes springing from the middle of the back, and many less prominent processes on the head, thorax and abdomen; colour purplish brown, much mottled with lighter and darker shades; six dorsal spots of bright gold ... found on the wild passion-flower (Modecca palmata).