why is mosquito mesh typically white?
i know the standard answer is because white is cheap and cool in
tropical climates (and i don't need/want this kind of answer), but are
there any other technical/biological reasons why?  for instance, are
mosquitos less attracted to white than other colors? etc., etc.

Clements AN. The Physiology of Mosquitoes. Oxford: Pergamon Pr; 1963.

If you can get ahold of the above...you will find it talks about
mosquitos orienting towards darker colors over long ranges...I'm sure
there are more recent studies but this is one I stumbled upon
quickly....

It was refered to in the following article
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931#R3-13

The there is the City of Corpus Christi web site that asks...Which
color are mosquitos mosts attracted too? There answer...dark
colors....

http://www.cctexas.com/?fuseaction=main.view&page=1549

HI,
Although you don't want the answer "cheaper" (don't know about
cooler), historically mosguito nets come from the tropics, fine cotton
mesh  - white, of course.  No doubt, the natives probably discovered
that dark colors attracted mosquitos more than the white did.  It also
has the advantage that you can spot an unwanted guest more easily.