The little owl is the only owl whose pellets were found in extreme desert conditions. Pellets were collected at 34 roosting sites in Egypt, Syria and Iran in 1996–2002. Altogether 5 939 prey items identified in the food in these countries belonged to 4 classes, 14 orders, 42 families, 92 genera and about 180 species of invertebrates. Mammals included 36 species (9.7 %), birds 33 taxa (3.0 %), amphibians only 3 ind., but reptiles (4.3 %, Lacertidae, Agamidae and Gekkonidae) were more abundant than in European studies. Pellets from all countries contained abundant deserticolous species of mammals (genera Gerbillus, Meriones, Cricetulus, Allactaga), eudominant deserticolous tenebrionid beetles (i.e. Pimelia spp., Blaps) (16.4–26.8%, in total 19%), dominant coprophagous and deserticolous species of Scarabeidae (5.9–8.6%, in total 6.8%), grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera, 5.7–16.4%, in total 9.7%). Significant and characteristic components of food in these arid countries were poisonous sunspiders (Solifugae 4–11.4%), but also scorpions (Scorpionidea, 0.2–3.3%), neither being found in pellets from Europe, and earwigs (Dermaptera, 1.7–13.4%).