I was bitten by this spider today, and I am having signifigant trouble identifying it. The site looks like the beginning of a bruise in the shape/size of two quarters lying next to each other, with two punctures approx. 1/4 inch apart. The closest thing I've found is the Funnel Web Grass Spider, but it doesn't look quite the same.
This is a very underfed (the abdomen should be larger than the cephalothorax) wolf spider (family Lycosidae), possibly the species Rabidosa rabida, a very common and widespread species - see http://tinyurl.com/lloj8g for an image. The bites from this spider are not considered dangerous to humans, but a local reaction such as you experienced certainly might be expected. As with many other arthropod venoms, individual sensitivity also may play a role, with some peoplr reacting more strongly to a bite than others.
Thank you. You saved me a hospital visit and plenty of grief. You're right, if anything, the symptoms have begun to fade.
