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To associate specimens identified by molecular characters to other biological knowledge, we need reference sequences annotated by Linnaean taxonomy. In this study, we (1) report the creation of a comprehensive reference library of DNA barcodes for the arthropods of an entire country (Finland), (2) publish this library, and (3) deliver a new identification tool for insects and spiders, as based on this resource. The reference library contains mtDNA COI barcodes for 11,275 (43%) of 26,437 arthropod species known from Finland, including 10,811 (45%) of 23,956 insect species. To quantify the improvement in identification accuracy enabled by the current reference library, we ran 1000 Finnish insect and spider species through the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) identification engine. Of these, 91% were correctly assigned to a unique species when compared to the new reference library alone, 85% were correctly identified when compared to BOLD with the new material included, and 75% with the new material excluded. To capitalize on this resource, we used the new reference material to train a probabilistic taxonomic assignment tool, FinPROTAX, scoring high success. For the full-length barcode region, the accuracy of taxonomic assignments at the level of classes, orders, families, subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species reached 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7%, 99.4%, 96.8%, and 88.5%, respectively. The FinBOL arthropod reference library and FinPROTAX are available through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility () at . Overall, the FinBOL investment represents a massive capacity-transfer from the taxonomic community of Finland to all sectors of society.

From Phyllonorycter salictella (Zeller,1846) a sister species P. heringiella (Grönlien, 1932) is here extracted on the basis of the number and colour of costal strigulae at the tip of the wing and the brightness of the golden coloration of the forewing. P. salictella is reported from the Finnish biogeographical provinces AI, Ab, N, Ka, Ta, Kl, Oa, Tb, Om, Oba, and Obb and P. heringiella from Al, Ab, N, Ka, Ta, Sa, and Oba. It is assumed that the golden hue, which sometimes covers the normally white strigulae of the forewing, occurs in freshly emerged moths and disappears after first flying efforts.

The Finnish Endothenia sp. called E. gentianaeana (Hübner) for more than a hundred years is shown to be E. oblongana (Haworth), a species occurring also in the other Nordic countries. To our knowledge, E. marginana (Haworth) has a discontinuous distribution in Finland, Sweden, and East Karelia. On the basis of the distribution and differences in appearance a new subspecies Endothenia marginana tarandina ssp. n. is described, with data on its biology.

The female of Elachista leifi Kaila & Kerppola is described based on two females collected in northern Finland. In addition to the larger size; the almost black ground colour, the small light area at fringe at the tip of the forewing and the bluish lustre on the underside of the thorax are the best diagnostic characters. The female genitalia of the species can be separated from those of other closely related species, except E. kilmunella, by the shape of antrum, the teeth of ductus bursae and the size and shape of signum. We did not find any reliable differences in female genitalia between E. kilmunella and E. leifi, due to variation in the characteristics of E. kilmunella.