J.R.R. Tolkien names the giant spider in The Lord of the Rings Shelob.
Shelob appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings. She dwells in the Pass of Cirith Ungol, near Mordor, and attacks Frodo Baggins as he and Samwise Gamgee try to reach the land of Sauron.
Shelob is descended from Ungoliant, a much older and more powerful spider-like being from Tolkien’s mythology. Ungoliant appears in The Silmarillion and is connected with the destruction of the Two Trees of Valinor.
A common mix-up is treating Shelob and Ungoliant as the same character. They are related, but they are distinct figures. Sam wounds Shelob with the sword Sting and helps rescue Frodo after the attack.