Definition of "trophobiont"

Ants are integral components of terrestrial ecosystems, owing to their manifold interactions with other organisms. They serve as seed dispersers for plants (myrmecochory), mutualists with sap-sucking insects (trophobionts), and hosts for a wide range of associate organisms (myrmecophiles) and act as both predator and prey.

2022 September 19, Schultheiss et al., “The abundance, biomass, and distribution of ants on Earth”, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, page 1, column 1