Palaearctic species of the genus Gymnophora are reviewed. Four new species, G. amurensis sp. n., G. gornostaevi sp. n., G. perpropinqua sp. n., and G. victoria sp. n., are described from the European Russia, Middle Asia, and Russian Far East. Females of two other species from the Far East are described under code letters. G. laciniata Michailovskaya, 1997 is synonymised under G. prescherweberae Disney, 1997. Lectotypes of G. arcuata (Meigen, 1839) and G. verrucata (Schmitz, 1929) are designated. The latter species is redescribed. Palaearctic females of G. nigripennis demonstrate wide variation of taxonomically important features and may, in fact, represent a group of closely related species. One female of G. nigripennis, which has been caught alive, is recorded to be infected with fungi.