As global food demand increases, farmers are increasingly relying on single, managed bee species (often honey bees) to pollinate their crops. However, honey bees are not the best pollinators for all crops, and honey bee colonies have recently been experiencing health problems, notably colony collapse disorder. Recent research has shown that promoting a diversity of wild insect pollinators – such as the sweat bee in this photograph – can augment crop yield. This can be done through such practices as decreasing pesticide use, planting multiple crops, and planting wildflowers around crop fields. This image originally appeared on the cover of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment in October of 2014.