Camponotus pennsylvanicus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) is one of the largest and most common species of carpenter ant native to the central and eastern United States as well as eastern Canada. C. pennsylvanicus can be distinguished from other carpenter ant species by the dull black color of the head and body, and by whitish or yellowish hairs on the abdomen. All castes of this species (including the major and minor workers, queens and males) are black or blackish. Black carpenter ants are polymorphic, i.e., workers can be different sizes, in some instances substantially. The queens can reach a length of 19–21 mm and the largest workers (super majors) can achieve similar sizes of around 14–17 mm. They, along with several other Camponotus species, are among the largest species of ant in North America. As with all ants, the antennae are geniculate (elbowed). Workers usually have 12 antenna segments. Alates typically have yellowish wings.
Black carpenter ants are known to forage up to 100 yd (91 m) in search of food, establishing chemical (pheromone) trails as they forage. They locate food through their sense of smell. Nests can contain thousands of individuals... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Black Carpenter Ant sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 57th most-seen of the 632 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and April–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Black Carpenter Ant in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in March and November–December, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Black Carpenter Ant sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Eastern Black Carpenter Ant sightings, Philadelphia ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 20%), Washington (United States, about 10%) and New York City (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Camponotus
The closest relatives of the Eastern Black Carpenter Ant that you can see in Philadelphia (genus Camponotus, Carpenter Ants, Typical Sugar Ants and Allies) are Ferruginous Carpenter Ant (about 10%) and Chestnut Carpenter Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Black Carpenter Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (111 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
