Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón, PhD Investigador titular A de tiempo completo  Parasitic insects are an essential component of almost all terrestrial ecosystems since they  represent an effective biological control of other insect populations. Around one of ten insect  species are parasites, and more than 80% of them belong to the order Hymenoptera             My research focuses on the study of diversity and systematics of hymenopterans, in  particular the parasitic wasp family Braconidae. I use molecular phylogenetic techniques in  order to assess the evolution of different biological traits in the Braconidae, as well as to  make biogeographic inferences within this cosmopolitan family. I also collaborate in  phylogenetic studies of other groups of organisms distributed in the Mexican territory (e.g.  reptiles and amphibians) and in biogeographic studies of the Mesoamerican fauna. Zaldívar-Riverón Lab