Multitrophic plant–insect–fungal interactions across 150 million years: A giant Agathoxylon tree, ancient wood-boring beetles and fungi from the Morrison Formation of NE Utah, and the brood of an extant orchard mason bee

Although plant–insect interactions can be traced back to the Silurian, little is known from Upper Jurassic mid-Cretaceous ecosystems. In Morrison Formation, evidence limited insect body fossils and trace in mostly wood. However, until now, multitrophic have not been reported Formation. Here we describe a complex web of interrelationships between an ancient tree, fungi, wood-boring Formation with extant bee NE Utah, USA, using microscopy, thin sectioning, microCT for non-destructive internal imaging. The tree Agathoxylon hoodii (Araucariaceae), one largest individuals monospecific forest, whose trunk was infected decayed by white rot while alive during Jurassic. Fungal formation voids wood facilitated boring large-diameter galleries insect, likely beetle. One gallery repurposed modern orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria, as linear nest her brood. fossil specimen serendipitously collected two larvae plus food provisions cocoons lowermost chambers. Thus, this example only simple interaction plants insects, but transcends 150 million years tree–insect–fungal relationship living insect.