So, its probably fairly obvious to everyone reading this that arthropod carapce thicknesses have varied quite a bit among the different groups, just like every other part of their anatomy. Crustaceans have their carapaces reinforced with calcium carbonate, whereas others have thinner chitin layers for flexibility or agility. However, my question is which arthropods have thicker (a d/or more reinforced) carapaces compared to one another. That is, if you put a similar-sized trilobite, scorpion, spider, horseshoe crab, eurpteryid, myriapod, crustacean, and insect in a lineup, who would have the toughest exoskeletons and who would have the weakest? From what I've heard, insects and eurypterids would probably be on the "weak" end of the scale, and trilobites and crustaceans would be on the "strong", but I am not sure. Differentiations within the groups would also be helpful.
I'm not sure your question is the right one. There is huge variability within groups. For example some species of beetles have thick robust chitinous exoskeltons (e.g. weevils) compared with other beetles of the same physical size.
That is what I mean. It is difficult to find references on how tough or sclerotized the exoskeletons of different groups are, especially when comparing groups beyond a few closely related species (i.e., weevils versus other beetles as opposed to just within a given weevil genus). I am not an arthropod specialist, so I do not have a good idea where to look in the firsf place.
Some oribatid mites would have strongest exosceleton among most of other Acarina, or among Archnids perhaps. But even here the differences are big.
It might be worth looking at this as a question of difference in niche and trophic level of different taxa or even species, rather than an intrinsic thickness within each taxon. The carapace will be responsive to environmental or predatory pressures (amongst others), so maybe approach this as a question of thickness between arthropod guilds.
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