Subgenus Atavinus Olexa, 1990

Atavinus Olexa, 1990: 148 . Atavinus: MAZUR (1997): 269; MAZUR (2004): 96.

Type species: Philothis atavus Reichardt, 1931, original designation.

Diagnosis. Elytra without basal bulge and basal elytral stria; with four (or even five) well developed dorsal elytral striae, fourth dorsal elytral stria connected with sutural elytral stria; protarsi absent.

Differential diagnosis. Members of this subgenus differ from the subgenera Philothis and Farabius by the totally absent protarsi, and well developed 4 th and in case of some species even 5 th dorsal elytral striae.

Biology. See the biology of Philothis s. l.

Distribution. This subgenus is distributed from Sahara through the deserts of Oman and Iran into Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) (MAZUR 1997).

Species examined. Philothis (Atavinus) arnoldii Kryzhanovskij, 1976 in KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976), P. (A.) atavus Reichardt, 1931, P. (A.) olexai Gomy, 1992, P. (A.) pierrei Thérond, 1963 .