Abstract: The ground-dwelling invertebrate fauna was collected using pitfall traps to sample four habitat types on the Deosai Plateau, Northern Pakistan, during the boreal summer of 1999 (mid-June to mid-October). A total of 43751 specimens were collected, representing four classes, 13 orders and 102 determined families (Lithobiomorpha and Basommatophora not determined). The Insecta were predominant in overall abundance and total biomass. At order level, members of the Coleoptera dominated numerically (n = 25 173, 57.5%), followed by the Araneae (n = 8 757, 20.0%), Hymenoptera (n = 3 316, 7.6%), Acari (n = 2 113, 4.83%) and Orthoptera (n = 1 880, 4.3%). At family level, larger arthropods of the Acrididae, Tenebrionidae, Lycosidae, Carabidae and Anthophoridae contributed most to total dry mass. Arthropod families displayed divergent patterns of activity during the brief boreal summer. Overall habitat preference is skewed in favour of the drier, more open habitat types. Based on their relative abundance, arthropods represent a potentially important food source for brown bears inhabiting the Deosai Plateau and contribute to the overall functioning of the Deosai ecosystem.