Is this a carpenter ant?
No, this is not a carpenter ant...it's possibly a Pavement Ant (Tetramorium
caespitum) - only it's a male &amp; hence winged....for identification...follow these guidelines-


  Pavement ant workers are small, l/8-inch to 3/16-inch
  long, and blackish brown with light-colored legs and two spines at the
  end of the thorax. A distinguishing character, visible with a hand
  lens or microscope, is the series of fine parallel groves on the head
  and thorax