In a revision of the genus Coptomma, Deping Song and Qiao Wang of Massey University synonymised two species and described a new one, Coptomma marrisi, from a male and female collected by Lincoln University entomologist John Marris on an expedition to the Three Kings Islands in 1996.

The holotype and paratype were deposited in the Lincoln University Entomology Research Collection.

[1] Song and Wang chose the name marrisi to honour the collector of the holotype, John Marris.

[1] Coptomma marrisi most resembles the striped longhorn beetle C. lineatum, which is widely distributed through mainland New Zealand.

It differs in having a wide frons, a hairless stripe on the thorax, and reddish-brown femurs.