[2][3] 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.

The black carpenter ant cannot sting, but the larger workers can administer a sharp bite, which can become further irritated by the spraying of formic acid onto the wound.

[4] Black carpenter ants occur almost everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains in woodlands, forest edges, and suburban communities.

The galleries have a sandpaper-like feel, due to fecal remnants, but the mud tubes produced by termites will not be present.