For the first time, a nearly complete barcode library for European Gelechiidae is provided. DNA barcode sequences (COI gene – cytochrome c oxidase 1) from 751 out of 865 nominal species, belonging to 105 genera, were successfully recovered. A total of 741 species represented by specimens with sequences ≥ 500bp and an additional ten species represented by specimens with shorter sequences were used to produce 53 NJ trees. Intraspecific barcode divergence averaged only 0.54% whereas distance to the Nearest-Neighbour species averaged 5.58%. Of these, 710 species possessed unique DNA barcodes, but 31 species could not be reliably discriminated because of barcode sharing or partial barcode overlap. Species discrimination based on the Barcode Index System (BIN) was successful for 668 out of 723 species which clustered from minimum one to maximum 22 unique BINs. Fifty-five species shared a BIN with up to four species and identification from DNA barcode data is uncertain. Finally, 65 clusters with a unique BIN remained unidentified to species level. These putative taxa, as well as 114 nominal species with more than one BIN, suggest the presence of considerable cryptic diversity, cases which should be examined in future revisionary studies.

This paper is the first in a two-part series treating the family Gelechiidae from the Southern Ural Mountains, including newly described species. The material was collected during 1996–2007 on 21 different Finnish-Russian expeditions. Catatinagma Rebel, 1903, stat. rev., is removed from synonymy of Apatetris Staudinger, 1879, and is now considered valid. Two generic names are synonymized: Coloptilia Fletcher, 1940, syn. n. of Catatinagma and Chilopselaphus Mann, 1867, syn. n. of Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839. A short introduction is given for the following unrevised genera: Apatetris Staudinger, 1879, Catatinagma Rebel, 1903 comb. rev., Caulastrocecis Chrétien, 1931 and Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839. Seventeen new species are described: Catatinagma kraterella Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n., Metanarsia guberlica Nupponen sp. n., Caulastrocecis perexigella Junnilainen sp. n., Megacraspedus litovalvellus Junnilainen sp. n., Megacraspedus multispinella Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n., Megacraspedus orenburgensis Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n., Megacraspedus albovenata Junnilainen sp. n., Megacraspedus longipalpella Junnilainen sp. n., Monochroa uralensis Junnilainen sp. n., Teleiodes kaitilai Junnilainen sp. n., Athrips aquila Junnilainen sp. n., Athrips bidzilyai Junnilainen sp. n., Ephysteris tenuisaccus Nupponen sp. n., Hedma karsholti Nupponen sp. n., Lutilabria prolata Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n., Syncopacma steppicolella Junnilainen sp. n. and Helcystogramma flavescens Junnilainen sp. n.

A list of 37 species of the family Scythrididae from the southern Ural Mountains is presented. The material was collected during 1996-1999 in five different Finnish - Russian expeditions. Fourteen new species are described by varying combination of authors: Scythris acipenserella K. & T. Nupponen sp. n., S. aegrella K. Nupponen & Junnilainen sp. n., S. albisaxella K. & T. Nupponen sp. n., S. arkaimensis Bengtsson sp. n., S. brunneofasciella K. Nupponen & Junnilainen sp. n., S. cretacella K. & T. Nupponen, sp. n., S. elenae K. Nupponen sp. n., S. eversmanni K. & T. Nupponen sp. n., S. karinupponeni Bengtsson sp. n., S. luxatiella K. Nupponen & Kaitila sp. n., S. olschwangi K. & T. Nupponen sp. n., S. perlucidella K. & T. Nupponen sp. n., S. remexella K. Nupponen & Kaitila sp. n. and S. sublaminella K. & T. Nupponen sp. n .. One unknown species is mentioned but not described because only a single female is available. In addition, 10 species are reported as new for Russia. The known distribution range of each species is given as well as further notes on some poorly known species.

A list comprising 236 species in the family Gelechiidae from the southern Ural Mountains is presented. The material was collected during 1996–2007 on 21 different Finnish-Russian expeditions. The following new combinations are proposed: Caulastrocecis interstratella (Christoph, 1873) comb. n., Megacraspedus balneariellus (Chrétien, 1907) comb. n., Megacraspedus fallax (Mann, 1867) comb. n., Megacraspedus lagopellus Herrich-Schäffer, 1860 comb. rev., Megacraspedus niphorrhoa (Meyrick, 1926) comb. n., Scrobipalpa adaptata (Povolný, 2001) comb. n., Scrobipalpa dorsoflava (Povolný, 1996) comb. n., Scrobipalpa notata (Povolný, 2001) comb. n. and Scrobipalpa punctata (Povolný, 1996) comb. n. Neofriseria mongolinella Piskunov, 1987 stat. rev. is raised to the species rank (from subsp. of N. sceptrophora (Meyrick, 1926)). Previously unknown females of four species are described: Megacraspedus niphorrhoa (Meyrick, 1926), Monochroa nomadella (Zeller, 1868), Ivanauskiella psamathias (Meyrick, 1891) and Filatima zagulajevi Anikin & Piskunov, 1996. Trichembola neurophanes (Meyrick, 1926) syn. n. is shown to be a synonym of Megacraspedus fallax (Mann, 1867). Three separate species complexes are briefly discussed: Stomopteryx mongolica Povolný, 1975, Stomopteryx remissella (Zeller, 1847) and Aristotelia subericinella (Duponchel, 1843); each of them seems to contain unresolved taxonomic problems. Three species are reported for the first time from Europe: Neofriseria mongolinella Piskunov, 1987, Stomopteryx mongolica Povolný, 1975, and Anarsia sibirica Park & Ponomarenko, 1996. The following species are newly recorded from Russia: Apatetris kinkerella (Snellen, 1876), Catatinagma trivittellum Rebel, 1903, Megacraspedus balneariellus (Chrétien, 1907), Megacraspedus niphorrhoa (Meyrick, 1926), Chrysoesthia falkovitshi Lvovsky & Piskunov, 1989, Metzneria diffusella Englert, 1974, Ptocheuusa paupella (Zeller, 1847), Ptocheuusa abnormella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854), Monochroa parvulata Gozmány, 1957, Eulamprotes plumbella (Heinemann, 1870), Aroga aristotelis (Millière, 1876), Filatima transsilvanella Z. Kovács & S. Kovács, 2001, Scrobipalpa adaptata (Povolný, 2001), Scrobipalpa dorsoflava (Povolný, 1996), Scrobipalpa halonella (HerrichSchäffer, 1854), Scrobipalpa lutea Povolný, 1977, Scrobipalpa magnificella Povolný, 1967, Scrobipalpa notata (Povolný, 2001), Scrobipalpa plesiopicta (Povolný, 1969), Scrobipalpa pulchra (Povolný, 1967), Scrobipalpa punctata (Povolný, 1996), Scrobipalpula diffluella (Frey, 1870), Caryocolum amaurella (M. Hering, 1924), Caryocolum repentis Huemer & Luquet, 1992, Syncopacma incognitana Gozmány, 1957, Syncopacma azosterella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855), Syncopacma polychromella (Rebel, 1902), Brachmia procursella Rebel, 1903.

The Elachista cingillella complex is defined and diagnosed. The identity of E. cingillella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855) is clarified, and E. densicornella Hodgkinson, 1879 is confirmed to be a junior synonym of it. Redescriptions are given for the closely related, little known or misunderstood species E. fasciola Parenti, 1983 and E. nedaella Traugott-Olsen, 1985. Elachista metella Kaila sp. n. is described from Croatia and E. sutteri Kaila sp. n. from Samos, Greece. E. cingillella is a rarely found species distributed in central and northern Europe. All checked records of it from the Mediterranean region are based on misidentified specimens of E. metella sp. n., which is widely distributed in southern Europe and southern parts of central Europe. E. fasciola Parenti is distributed from Eastern Europe to Japan. E. nedaella Traugott-Olsen is only known from Crete, E. sutteri sp. n. from eastern Greece.