Holotype female, Iran, Fars Province, Mohr, Heraj village; Suaeda sp. (leaves), 31.iii.2012. (Mohsen Abdolahi); Paratypes: 58 females, 11 males taken with holotype; 14 females, 3 males, same place, Suaeda sp. (flowers), 21. ix. 2012.

Female macroptera. Body brown (paler in summer forms), all tarsi, fore tibiae in distal half, distal apex of mid and hind tibiae are yellow; antennal segments I–II brown but the color of remaining segments variable depending on collecting date (III–VI yellow, VII–VIII yellow-brownish in summer forms; III yellow, IV–VIII yellow-brownish, gradually darker brown in spring forms); fore wing pale except for basal area; major body setae as well as sub-basal wing setae pale but tergite setae and anal setae slightly shaded at base.

Antennae 8-segmented, segment III with two, IV with four sensoria, VII slightly constricted at base, VIII short and broad at base (Fig. 1). Head a little longer than wide with maxillary stylets 0.2–0.3 of head width apart, retracted anterior to post ocular setae; post ocular setae blunt or capitate, extending to posterior margin of eye (Fig. 2). Cheeks weakly rounded. Maxillary bridge well developed. Mouth cone rounded.

Pronotum transverse, without sculpture lines except close to posterior margin; notopleural sutures complete; five pairs of developed setae present: am, aa, ml, epim and pa, all blunt or capitate (Fig. 2); prosternum with paired basantra and ferna as well as a spinasternum, ferna broad (Fig. 3). Mesonotum transversely weakly reticulate, with no microtrichia, lateral setae well developed, weakly capitate (Fig. 4). Mesopresternum eroded medially (Fig. 3). Metanotum reticulate, with no microtrichia, median setae slender and acute, arise on posterior half of sclerite, with 2–4 small setae on anterior half (Fig. 4). Fore tarsal tooth conspicuous (Fig. 2). Fore wing constricted medially (Fig. 6), sub-basal setae S1, S2 and S3 blunt or capitate, their bases arranged in a triangle (Fig. 5), 2–7 duplicated cilia present (Fig. 6).

Pelta triangular, weakly reticulate (Fig. 7). Tergite II–VII with wing-retaining setae, anterior pair weaker than posterior one, these being weakest on tergite II; tergites II–VII with a few lines of sculpture and 3–5 discal setae lateral to two pairs of developed wing-retaining setae; marginal setae S1 and S2 on tergites VII–IX long and finely pointed, S2 on other tergites finely pointed but S1 usually blunt, rarely finely pointed and sometimes variable on different tergites, tending to be more pointed on posterior than anterior tergites. Tergite VII with two campaniform sensilla not close to each other, separated by at least 0.1 width of tergite, with four micro-setae laterally; tergite VIII campaniform sensilla further apart, more than two times as those on tergite VIII, three to four micro-setae between sensilla or sometimes in front of them (Fig. 8). Tube short, about twice as long as basal width (Fig. 9); anal setae usually longer than tube.

Measurements.(holotype female, in microns). Body distended length 1845. Head, length 190; median width 180; postocular setae 35. Pronotum, length 35; width 68; major setae am 34, aa 33, ml 26, epim 51, pa 43. Fore wing length 700; sub-basal wing setae 41, 50, 68. Tergite IX setae S1 95, S2 85. Tube length 108; basal width 58. Antennal segments III–VIII length 38, 47, 43, 41, 33, 21.

Male macroptera. Color and structure similar to female. Sternites with no pore plates; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout (Fig. 10). Pseudovirga spoon shaped at apex (Fig. 11).

The reticulation on the mesonotum and metanotum of Haplothrips herajius (Fig. 4) is unique among Iranian Haplothrips as well as for most other Haplothrips species. In other species of Haplothrips recorded from Iran, this reticulation is weakly developed or absent. The new species is very close to Haplothrips kermanensis. Both species have extra setae on metanotum (Figs 4, 13) that are not seen in other Iranian species of Haplothrips. Moreover, in both species the basal wing setae are arranged in a triangle (Figs 5, 12) (this arrangement in Haplothrips kermanensis was not reported by Minaei and Mound (2008), and the apex of the mid and hind tibiae are pale, also a conspicuous fore tarsal tooth is present in both species. However, the number of small setae anterior to the median pair of metanotal setae in the new species is variable, 2–4 (rarely 0, 5 or 6), whereas available specimens of Haplothrips kermanensis all consistently have one pair. In addition, am setae on the pronotum in Haplothrips herajius are blunt or capitate in contrast to Haplothrips kermanensis in which they are pointed. Furthermore, fore wing sub-basal setae S3 in the new species is blunt compared with weakly pointed in Haplothrips kermanensis. Males of the two species are clearly different in genitalia: spoon shaped in Haplothrips herajius but rod shaped in Haplothrips kermanensis (Figs 11, 14).

Color of body and antennal segments varies among specimens, being paler in summer specimens compared with specimens collected in early spring. The fore tarsal tooth is conspicuous, but variable from small to large among male specimens. Maxillary stylets are retracted to postocular setae but rarely are low in the head and not reaching the postocular setae. Moreover, in a few specimens, the pronotal am setae are not developed.

Heraj is a village of Mohr city in the south of Fars Province, south of Iran which is located 300 km south of Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province.