Lovebugs in SE Texas

While working in the garden this morning I noticed its time for our twice a year pest and decided I would  google the creatures to see if they serve a particular purpose.
In September and then again in Feb/March Southeast Texas is bombarded by these little creatures.

Plecia nearctica

The picure shows them on an old rose bloom. They seem to love white. They are a pest!!!! They dont hurt you, but they can do a number on your cars paint job.
What purpose do these little acidic creatures serve? Well.. I'm glad you asked. They are swarming this old rose because that is their diet. They feed on decaying vegetation. I dont feel this is a good trade off, we are getting the short end of the stick.

Rumor has it they are a University of Florida experiment gone badly. As the rumor goes they were created as an attempt to control the mesquito population. In all my searching Ive not found a basis for this belief.

I have found however, the little lizards that live in and around my garden and flowers view them as a delicacy. I tried to shoot a video of him eating them but I moved too quickly and he scooted off.

This is my contribution to useless trivia.