Hairy Carpenter Ant

Camponotus vagus · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.

Hairy carpenter ants are large, uniformly black insects covered in dense body hairs. Workers range from 6 to 12 mm, with larger guard ants protecting smaller foragers. Colonies live in dry open forests, building nests in dead wood or under stones, and can number up to 10 000 ants.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

They are easy to spot by their big size, solid black color, and long, dense hairs on the body.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Worker ants measure between 6 and 12 mm long. The biggest workers act as guards for the colony.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They prefer dry habitats such as open forests and forest edges. Nests are usually made in dead wood, but they can also be founded under stones.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

They eat both other insects and the sugary honeydew produced by aphids.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Colonies typically contain 1 000 to 4 000 workers, though some grow to 10 000 ants.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Their range covers much of Europe, a large part of Asia, and north-western Africa. They are especially common in central Europe, extending from southern Scandinavia to north-west Africa and from Portugal to Mongolia.

Source: Wikipedia