PAINTSVILLE, Ky. — Dragonflies — the versatile fliers that can speed along at about 30 mph — are allies in the late-summer battle against mosquitoes.

        Bob Beverley watches their aerobatics over a field near his home along Johns Creek in rural Johnson County, where an unusually high number of the insects, which can reach 3 inches long, are patrolling for flying pests.

        “I like to see them chasing mosquitoes,” Mr. Beverley said. “The fewer mosquitoes the better, especially with this West Nile virus going around.”

        The same warm, wet summer that has helped increase mosquito populations has also been good for dragonflies, said Ric Vessin, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

        “This is one of those highly beneficial insects,” Mr. Vessin said. “They are predators, but they don't sting and they don't bite people. They're almost like butterflies out there.”

        Mr. Vessin and other bug experts say the big insects with four transparent wings deserve the same kind of respect that more recently has been heaped upon bats.

        “I think some people are spooked by their appearance because they look kind of robotic, but they're perfectly harmless and an important part of the natural system,” said Philip Crowley, a biology professor and dragonfly expert at the University of Kentucky.

        Russell Sparks, a state agricultural agent in Magoffin County, said people shouldn't be scared of the menacing-looking bugs, which have been nicknamed “mosquito hawks.”

        “If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone,” he said. “And if you decide not to leave them alone, they still won't bother you.”

        Mr. Crowley said the insects' population can vary widely from year from year and from place to place.

        Dave and Deborah McKenzie happen to live in an area heavily occupied by dragonflies, on the outskirts of Paintsville.

        “The most I've seen at any one time is probably 20, just in our front yard,” Mrs. McKenzie said. “I was surprised to see so many. You just kind of want to swipe them away.”

        Mr. Crowley said dragonflies can't keep mosquito populations under control, but they have been shown to slightly reduce their numbers.

        Capitalizing on that, some companies have begun raising and selling dragonflies in the nymph stage. They go for about 50 cents each.

        Dragonflies begin their lives in water as nymphs, where they feed on mosquito larvae. When the nymphs leave the water, they crawl up a plant and morph into the winged adults with a taste for adult mosquitoes.

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