The spider genus Paratus Simon, 1898 was known for more than hundred years from a single female from Sri Lanka. A survey of spiders in south China and northern India reveals two new species: P. sinensis sp. n. and P. indicus sp. n. Both species are described based on males and females. The study of the copulatory organs and somatic morphology led us to conclude that Paratus cannot be placed in any described subfamily of Liocranidae, where it was placed originally, or in Corinnidae. Therefore, we describe a new subfamily Paratinae subfam. n. and retain this group within Liocranidae.