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Home / Ants / Carpenter Ant
What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like?
Carpenter ants are "polymorphic". This means that there are workers of varying sizes in the colony. There is usually only one wingless queen. Winged male and female carpenter ants appear after the colony is mature - usually after three or four years. Carpenter ant workers have black, dark brown, red and black, yellow or red coloration with sizes ranging from six to 13 millimeters. Black carpenter ants have uniform dark brown and black colors, while red and black carpenter ants have dark brown and black bodies with a red-brown thorax.
The black carpenter ant in the eastern and western areas of the United States is the most widely studied. This ant is large and black in color, while those observed in Florida are smaller and could range in color from black to brown, yellow or red.
However, several species of the carpenter ant exist within the United States, so size and color are not always reliable identifying characteristics. The Camponotus, or carpenter ant, is distinguished from other species by the rounded profile of their thorax: the carpenter ant's waist is constricted. All carpenter ants have elbowed antennae.
Queen carpenter ants and reproductive males have forewings that are larger than their hind wings. These wings are transparent or light brown. The winged carpenter ants appear between February and August. After the females are fertilized, they make a nest to start a colony.
The eggs of carpenter ants are about 1/8-inch long, oval-shaped and cream in color. Carpenter ant larvae are legless. During the pupal stage, they transform into adults ants.
Carpenter Ant Identification: How to Identify a Carpenter Ant
What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like?
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