With this specimen and 99% of the other A. apicalis I have found, they are found either directly under the bark of fallen trees, usually around midrange, or deep in rotten stumps. This is an example of the latter, he was hiding in a cerambycid larvae hole deep within a rotting aspen stump. A little breaking apart of the stump and some coaxing got him to come out, but this is more of a staged shot than natural. This was at approximately 3:30pm. I have however seen 2 specimens flying, both from around 2:00-4:00pm. I suspect this is one of the "day-flying" elaterids, if I were to group them according to flight patterns. As you mentioned, I tend to see different elaterids come out at different times. A. apicalis seems to come out in afternoon, along with smaller brown elaterids. At night I usually find larger, black elaterids, most along the order of 3/4 to 1 inch, along with one specimen of Alaus oculatus (although this was in Northeastern Virginia, a long ways from home). Hope this helps at all!