American Carpenter Ant

American Carpenter Ant

Camponotus americanus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

55 Verified sightings at Great Smoky Mountains National Park From 2019 to 2026
73 In all 2 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the American Carpenter Ant

Camponotus americanus is a species of carpenter ant. The ant is above average in length with worker ants being 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long. Despite normally nesting in soil, it is known that the species may nest under stones, under litter, or in rotten logs. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an American Carpenter Ant in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Carpenter Ant sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 90th most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an American Carpenter Ant in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

November

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Carpenter Ant in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an American Carpenter Ant?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American 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.

Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park the best place to see an American Carpenter Ant?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate American Carpenter Ant sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the American Carpenter Ant live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Same genus: Camponotus

The closest relatives of the American Carpenter Ant that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (genus Camponotus, Carpenter Ants, Typical Sugar Ants and Allies) are Eastern Black Carpenter Ant (about 10%) and Ferruginous Carpenter Ant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the American Carpenter Ant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the American Carpenter Ant is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (55 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

← Back to Great Smoky Mountains National Park