Short wings, about the length of the pronotum. Wings have lighter stripes along the dorsolateral edges. Heavy banding on the outer face of the femur. Hind tibiae red. In Iowa, M. viridipes is somewhat similar, but has bright green legs and occurs in the spring. M. scudderi also has red hind tibiae, but does not have bands on the outer face of the femur and does not have stripes on the wings.
Blatchley, W. S. 1920. Orthoptera of Northeastern America: With Especial Reference to the Faunas of Indiana and Florida. Nature Publishing Company, Indianapolis, IN. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/1700
Froeschner, R.C., 1954. The grasshoppers and other Orthoptera of Iowa. Iowa State College Journal of Science 29:163-354. https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/49794
Knutson (1937) reported this species from 6 counties in east central Iowa. It also occurs in the Missouri River valley in western Iowa. It seems to be more common in eastern Iowa and along the Missouri River Valley, but Froeschner (1954) reported a few records from central Iowa.
Shrubby areas and understory vegetation, perhaps preferring grapevine.