This trope is based off the myth of Arachne,which everyone and their grandmother knows is about a woman named Arachne who was transformed into a spider by the Greek goddess Athena because the goddess did not like losing a weaving contest to a mortal.As a myth it has many interpretations,some which imply that Arachne was at fault for her hubris.
Just like how the mythical centaur were always depicted as being male and wild,Spider people are always villainous and female.The size of your average spider person will almost certainly range between large and dangerous or,huge and formidable,this based off how actual female spiders are larger then their male counterparts
The folks behind Dungeons & Dragons obviously knew about the myth of Arachne and ran with it,creating the driders,and while they did not invent the this trope,their driders have influenced how people view spider people,in fact,most depictions of spider people are usually based off the Dungeons & Dragons concept,and of course the original myth of Arachne is included too.
As Fanservice spider people are sometimes illustrated as being topless,although it could also be a form of Fan Disservice.Spider people despite being hideously scary are a popular choice for the Cute Monster Girl treatment.
Not to be confused with Spider-Man or Spider-Woman. See also the Youkai Tsuchigumo and Jourogumo, which are spiders that can turn into people and often have mix-and-match shapes similar to this trope. Naturally, tend to have an Arachnid Appearance and Attire.
