Nothing to me is a scary & spooky as a spider. And many stories use them to up the fear factor. Tolkein inserts the Spiders of Mirkwood in Hobbit & Shelob in Return of the King. Aragog & his children in Harry Potter. In Doctor Who, itis the arachnoids, (Think I geek much?) Arachnophobia. The early myths of Arachne. Etcetera, etcetera etcetera.