Cophinus

Cophinus is a taxonomic genus name that has appeared in scientific literature across different biological groups. Because the same genus name has been used in multiple lineages over time, its exact reference is not fixed and depends on the source. In modern taxonomy, names are regulated by nomenclatural codes (such as the ICZN for animals and the ICN for plants), and a name like Cophinus may be retired, synonymized, or replaced if a taxon is reassessed or if a preoccupied name exists elsewhere.

In practice, researchers encountering Cophinus should consult current taxonomic databases to identify whether the name is currently accepted, and if so, to which family, order, and higher taxa it belongs. If Cophinus is no longer valid, the accepted name is usually a synonym of the original genus or the genus name has been reorganized.

It is common for older literature to use now-archived names. For precise identification, it helps to cite the author and year of the original description and to check cross-references in sources such as the Catalogue of Life, ITIS, WoRMS, or GBIF. This ensures consistent usage across disciplines and regions. The term may also occur in non-biological contexts; if so, disambiguation should be pursued.