Hairy Carpenter Ant Camponotus vagus

This large black carpenter ant has colonized one of nature's most impressive ranges, stretching across Europe, deep into Asia, and into Africa—a Palaearctic distribution achieved by few insects. Its massive success across three continents speaks to a survivor's generalist approach: able to carve out niches from Mediterranean forests to temperate woodlands and beyond, it's a quiet conqueror of the ant world.