Termite borings in Early Cretaceous fossil wood, Isle of Wight, UK

A pellet-filled boring in fossil wood is described from the Early Cretaceous Wessex Formation (Barremian), Isle of Wight. The cylindrical boring, approximately 1 cm in diameter, is filled with carbonaceous pellets with a hexagonal shape, preserved within a matrix of pyrite. Features of the boring suggest that it was made by termites that bored into the wood, either when the tree was alive or in the early stages of decay on the forest floor. This evidence of termite activity complements previous records of termite wing fossils and faecal pellets in Wealden sediments and is evidence for social behaviour in Wealden insects. This is one of the oldest records of termite borings in wood.