The broad-tailed swallowtail is unique among butterflies, and as a caterpillar eats only the leaves of the Taiwanese sassafras. However, the tree's natural habitat is very scarce and it may be found in scattered locales in the forests of the Central Mountain Range, at about 900-1200 meters altitude.
寬尾鳳蝶是全世界獨一無二的寬尾蝶種，幼蟲只吃台灣擦樹的樹葉，但擦樹對生長環境十分挑剔，原生樹種只零星分布在中央山脈 900 到 2000 公尺高的山林，寬尾鳳蝶也相對稀少。