The Moth Taj Mahal is an 8ft x 8ft walk-in live trap. A combination mercury vapor/black light fixture is installed on the roof. A large funnel with a 3-inch opening permits insects to pass through the roof into the screened-in room below. Another funnel and drain pipe is installed to collect rainwater dripping in from above. Moths are collected at leisure in prescription medicine vials and stored for photography in the Moth Fridge, a motel-size refrigerator used to chill the moths to about 38°F/3°C.

The moths are then released onto a paper or cloth background on a photo table in the Moth Lounge. The substrate, with the moth on it, can be turned to any desired angle relative to the camera and lighting.

Adding the Taj Majal as a major tool in the moth photography toolbox has enabled me to add 100 species so far this year to my yard list. In almost four years I have been able to photograph nearly 900 species of moths in my yard.