Parantica nilgiriensis, the Nilgiri tiger,[2][3] is a butterfly found in the Western Ghats of India south of the Konkan.

[2][3] Parantica nilgiriensis is a near-threatened (IUCN 2.3), butterfly endemic to the high altitudes of the Western Ghats of southern India, belonging to the family Nymphalidae and sub-family Danainae.

It is restricted to the shola forests, south of Nilgiri Hills, in the temperate zones of the mountains, above 1500 m, though the species occasionally shows up in home gardens and open country to visit flowering plants.

Egg-laying behaviour: The adult female flies continuously around healthy host plants, occasionally stopping to lay eggs on suitable fresh leaves.

[4] Adult behaviour: "The flight is rapid, low and erratic for a Danaid, giving the impression that it may not be protected species.

The first instar is a small, pearly white caterpillar with a prominent black head and dark grey legs.

The second instar is larger and begins to show up purplish ground colour with white, oval and round spots similar to what is seen on the mature caterpillar.

In the third and fourth instars the basic morphology remains the same except that the caterpillar grows in length and thickness, the tentacles elongates and the white spots gradually turn yellow on all segments.

It hangs freely from the underside of a leaf or twig, appearing very similar to that of plain tiger Danaus chrysippus.