Likely a velvet ant (wingless female wasp)

Open, sunny ground such as gravel paths, sandy areas, and dry grassland.

Adults feed mainly on nectar; larvae develop as parasites on ground-nesting bees and wasps.

Females are wingless and often wander over bare ground; they can make a loud squeak when handled. The image is too distant for a confident species-level identification.

Females can deliver a very painful sting if picked up, but are not aggressive when left alone; they also help regulate populations of other solitary insects.