Camponotus pennsylvanicus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Black Carpenter Ant sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Black Carpenter Ant in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, 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.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Eastern Black Carpenter Ant sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Voyageurs National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Camponotus
The closest relatives of the Eastern Black Carpenter Ant that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (genus Camponotus, Carpenter Ants, Typical Sugar Ants and Allies) are Chestnut Carpenter Ant (about 10%), American Carpenter Ant (about 10%) and Bearded 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 Shenandoah National Park (75 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.
