> are stingless bees really stingless, or do they have stingers but just don't use them?

I got asked this several times when teaching workshops on "keeping" solitary bees in smaller community gardens, where a hive of honeybees would be overkill.

As far as stingers go, in order of harmless to stinging:

Andrenidae - effectively no stinger at all, some have some sort of "stinger" apparatus, but it will not penetrate human skin
Halictidae - females have stingers, very rarely used
Megachile - females have stingers, rarely used
Melittidae - females have stingers, will sting if provoked
Stenotritidae - females have stingers, will sting if provoked 
Apidae - females have stingers, will sting if provoked

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