Coumaphos
chemical compound
Coumaphos is a nonvolatile, fat-soluble phosphorothioate with ectoparasiticide properties: it kills insects and mites. It is well known by a variety of brand names as a dip or wash, used on farm and domestic animals to control ticks, mites, flies and fleas.
It is also used to control Varroa mites in honey bee colonies, though in many areas it is falling out of favor as the mites develop resistance and as the residual toxicity effects are becoming better understood.
In Australia, its registration as suited to home veterinary use was cancelled by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in June 2004 after the manufacturer failed to show it was safe for use on pets.
The compound has been linked to neurological problems in bees, and may be a factor in colony collapse.
It is classified as an extremely hazardous substance in the United States as defined in Section 302 of the U.S. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (42 U.S.C. § 11002), and is subject to strict reporting requirements by facilities which produce, store, or use it in significant quantities.
The public source identifies “Coumaphos” as chemical compound. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Coumaphos, chemical and compound.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Coumaphos”, the useful work is to connect “chemical compound” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q415896. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2004.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Coumaphos”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Coumaphos primary sources, Coumaphos archive and Coumaphos research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Coumaphos”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Coumaphos” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.