I'm stumped; what is this?

Laurie brought me home a treat, yesterday; the tip of a branch covered in bugs.

(Romantic, isn't it?) (It is, really; he knows what I like.)

The branch was from one of the "weed" trees along the street; an alder. And the tip was covered in tiny white fibers. At first glance, I said, "cottonwood". Disappointedly, because the cottonwood is spreading its "snow" everywhere this week; this was nothing new.

But, on principle, I checked it out with my hand lens. Cottonwood seeds and fibers. As I thought. But as I looked, one of those clumps of fiber started walking.
I looked more carefully and found three or four tiny green bugs, well camouflaged with cottonwood. I used the hook from a microscope set to remove the fibers one by one, which took quite some time, what with the fibers being sticky and the bugs walking away every time I touched them.

But I got one more or less cleaned off. Here he is, upside down and struggling, and then right side up.A weird little beetle, of some sort. 6 legs, long antennae, and stubby wing-like appendages on the sides. Pinkish eyes, and a black tail end.

What is this? I have never seen anything similar, especially with those stubby wings, which certainly wouldn't help him to fly underneath that cottonwood blanket.

These weren't the only residents on that branch; I found several aphids, large and small, a tiny pale fly, quite a few round eggs or egg cases too small to photograph, or even to see clearly. And a pretty green inchworm:
A tiny, tiny spider, very cute:For comparison, a paper clip:
That's the green bug and the spider. The paper clip is the standard office size.

The whole kit and kaboodle is outside again. I'm sure the green bug has gotten himself a new blanket by this time. And tomorrow, I'll write What's That Bug?